The Fourth Circuit on Friday agreed to fast-track the appeal concerning which court should hear the ballot challenge in the race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court, moving the case forward for argument before the first session of the new year.
In a three-page order, the federal appeals court granted a motion filed by incumbent Justice Allison Riggs, who is starting her new term on the North Carolina Supreme Court without the state Board of Elections certifying the results of her race against GOP challenger Judge Jefferson Griffin.
Judge Griffin, a state appellate judge, has contested the results of the election, seeking to invalidate tens of thousands of ballots that he claims were unlawful. His legal challenge has created uncertainty about the outcome of the race, as it has been shifting between the North Carolina Supreme Court and the Fourth Circuit.
The Fourth Circuit’s order accelerates the case, replacing its previous schedule, which would have seen briefing completed by mid-March. The court now requires parties to submit their briefs by January 22, with oral arguments scheduled for January 27—a day earlier than originally planned for the court’s January term.
