'Radical' GOP trying to disenfranchise NC voters who 'overcame the destruction of Hurricane Helene'

24 January

In North Carolina, Republicans have been trying to overturn the results of a state supreme court race that found Democratic Justice defeating GOP challenger Jefferson Griffin by only 734 votes.

There were no signs that any type of voter fraud occurred; rather, Republicans are trying to get roughly 65,000 votes tossed out based on what CNN's Tierney Sneed describes as "technicalities" and possible "clerical errors." And according to Sneed, some of the voters who are being affected "overcame the destruction of Hurricane Helene to exercise their franchise."

"For the vast majority of the ballots being challenged," Sneed explains in an article published on January 24, "they're…. relying on what likely amounts to clerical errors by election officials to argue that those votes should be thrown out. They're also challenging a few thousand overseas ballots, including ballots cast by military members and their families abroad. And for some ballots, they’re using arguments that were rejected by courts in pre-election court battles in the state."

Sneed adds, "Critics warn that if the gambit is successful, it will set a new standard for throwing out elections based on technicalities that are no fault of the voters."

Election law expert David Becker attacked GOP efforts to throw those votes out as "radical" and "undemocratic," telling CNN, "It goes beyond almost any lawsuit that I've seen before in challenging an election."

Similarly, Riggs told CNN, "These voters did not do anything wrong. They are longtime — in many cases, lifetime — voters. There is no question of their identity."

Asheville, North Carolina resident Copland Rudolph, whose vote is among those being challenged, believes that Republicans are unfairly targeting voters who were affected by Hurricane Helene.

Rudolph told CNN, “For us to have to go back, and re-look at our vote, and even deal with this issue when we have years ahead of us of recovery is.… tone deaf by the people filing this challenge."

Read the full CNN article at this link.

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