The appeals court did not provide an explanation for the expedited timeline.
Judge Griffin’s challenge stems from election protests he filed with the state elections board, where he sought to discard ballots he claims were cast unlawfully in North Carolina. After the final tally showed him trailing Justice Riggs by 734 votes, Griffin petitioned the North Carolina Supreme Court for a writ of prohibition to stop the board from certifying the contested ballots.
In December, the board’s Democratic majority rejected Griffin’s protests. He then turned to the Eastern District of North Carolina, where U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II sent the case back to the state Supreme Court, concluding that none of Griffin’s challenges involved federal law.
That ruling is now under appeal in the Fourth Circuit. Meanwhile, the North Carolina Supreme Court has blocked the state elections board from certifying the race results.
Representatives for Justice Riggs, the North Carolina State Board of Elections, and the North Carolina GOP did not immediately comment on the expedited proceedings.
