Thank you for this blistering report, Judd. One of the people you mention as having their vote thrown out is a dear colleague of many years. He has contributed more to the university in which I worked for over thirty-one years than anyone I know. This travesty of electoral justice must be stopped. North Carolina is moving in the direction of Florida and Texas.
I don’t think it’s North Carolina per se that’s moving in that odious direction, it’s the Republican Party that’s doing it whether the voters want it or not. Particularly if not!
How wonderful that so many people are investigating all the fraud seeking Kefferson Griffin's endless shenanigans to de-certify so many valid voters! This kind of committed and laborious work is what it takes to combat this endless Republican strategy. Your examples, such as your lead off "Josiah Young was born and raised in North Carolina" provide the kind of evidence that readers and listeners remember. As usual, great work, Popular Information team, and the pertinet "Anderson Alerts, a newsletter about North Carolina politics."
Hello from Milan, Italy, where I’ve lived since 2022. While I vote (by overseas ballot) in Michigan, not North Carolina, I’d expect these kinds of challenges will now become standard operating procedure everywhere as Republicans continue to wage war against democracy. We’re in the fight of our lives.
Griffin has only challenged votes in predominantly Democratic areas. There wasn't even the pretense of being random. That the NC Supreme Court even considered these obviously bogus challenges is an outrage. Additionally, if Riggs' retention prevails, that court is still 5--2 in favor of Republicans. It seems that's just not enough with the GOP of 2025.
I am not a lawyer, but as I watch Republicans across the country throw frivolous lawsuits against the wall to see if they will stick, I can't help wonder what recourse defendants (or citizens) have to increase the cost to the "plaintiffs". I also wonder how much these junk law suits are costing taxpayers at all levels of government. Trump, of course, is a master at playing the judicial system against itself.
Wow. Thank you Judd for continuing to dig into the insane situation in NC. This election feels more and more important as the GOP continues to find ways to cheat and disenfranchise voters. Keep up your excellent work!
This is personal and scary to consider the full import. A dear friend has a daughter who fits the category of American mom, German dad, dual citizen, votes in Michigan by absentee. The fact that American citizens will be denied their voting franchise due to a misunderstanding of the poor wording on a ballot with no recourse to fix the error is infuriating and sets the standard for all future elections. We are going backward. This must be what it felt like to live as an American in 1925 when the white supremists (the KKK, Ford), tech bros (Edison, Ford), manufacturing conglomerates (Carnegie, Ford) and stock market oligarchs (JP Morgan, Ford) ruled the American political landscape. Well silly me, that’s actually 2025, today. I guess history does rhyme.
I think they're just concocting specious scenarios targeting only blue areas, not overall. Nor are other races on the same ballots being questioned. It's absurd and transparently political.
I’d comment further but the explanation says it all. The Atlantic article WHEN THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY IS PERSONAL by Graham is also excellent but behind a subscription wall.
Flawed data was the excuse not the reason. The NC Supreme Court acted on a purely partisan basis to attempt to steal a seat. And they will likely get away with it. As a result Republicans may never win a statewide election again as Democrats and the few fair minded Republicans that remain respond in anger and take out Tillis and every marginal Republican in Congress and the legislature that they can.
Don't bet on it. These actions are all designed to keep the GOP in permanent majority through extreme gerrymandering of House and state legislative districts and ensuring judicial support for vote suppression initiatives.
Gerrymandering does not work on statewide elections. Republican overreach will burn them sooner or later, and the magnitude of the overreach (like stealing an election) shrinks the timeline.
My point wasn't about statewide races per se, but does apply to court rulings. NC is pretty evenly split, so Tillis could face a real challenge from a good D candidate. The House and state legislative races are another matter. Also, fair minded Republicans? TBD.
People of North Carolina need to Stay Safe. If they are only 1 percent at fault for their injuries they get nothing for damages due to the Contributory Negligence Law. Only four states still have this law. Reform NC Contributory Negligence Law!
You've written about this sore loser Griffin before, and his story is remarkable in that he stands in the sandbox and cries for mommy not caring that he looks like a big baby.
It would be one thing if there was obvious, intentional and malicious voter fraud but there just isn't, in North Carolina or anywhere. The most voter fraud (which is minuscule) has been Trump voters trying to squeeze a dead mom's vote out of a corpse, or the like.
I say send Griffin a box of diapers from all of us.
Oh, they're working hard to steal the election. Projection is a marvelous thing, isn't it? The judges of the courts who rule in the Republican's favor are openly flouting the law, as did Aileen Cannon, in support of the authoritarian takeover.
Thank you for this blistering report, Judd. One of the people you mention as having their vote thrown out is a dear colleague of many years. He has contributed more to the university in which I worked for over thirty-one years than anyone I know. This travesty of electoral justice must be stopped. North Carolina is moving in the direction of Florida and Texas.
I don’t think it’s North Carolina per se that’s moving in that odious direction, it’s the Republican Party that’s doing it whether the voters want it or not. Particularly if not!
The validation of "real people" and those who know them matters here--it's much more than "noise."
Also Rebecca and Noel. We all know Judd is the main man, but let's make sure to spread the credit where it's due.
How wonderful that so many people are investigating all the fraud seeking Kefferson Griffin's endless shenanigans to de-certify so many valid voters! This kind of committed and laborious work is what it takes to combat this endless Republican strategy. Your examples, such as your lead off "Josiah Young was born and raised in North Carolina" provide the kind of evidence that readers and listeners remember. As usual, great work, Popular Information team, and the pertinet "Anderson Alerts, a newsletter about North Carolina politics."
Yep the SAVE Act is the pinnacle of this for 69 million women voters. Voter Supression is the GOP motto any way they can.
Hello from Milan, Italy, where I’ve lived since 2022. While I vote (by overseas ballot) in Michigan, not North Carolina, I’d expect these kinds of challenges will now become standard operating procedure everywhere as Republicans continue to wage war against democracy. We’re in the fight of our lives.
It's 2025, and we're here debating the meaning of the word "never." Ours is a dark timeline, all right.
Question is - are all the votes thrown out blue? That would prove this isn't random in a state that is evenly split.
Griffin has only challenged votes in predominantly Democratic areas. There wasn't even the pretense of being random. That the NC Supreme Court even considered these obviously bogus challenges is an outrage. Additionally, if Riggs' retention prevails, that court is still 5--2 in favor of Republicans. It seems that's just not enough with the GOP of 2025.
I am not a lawyer, but as I watch Republicans across the country throw frivolous lawsuits against the wall to see if they will stick, I can't help wonder what recourse defendants (or citizens) have to increase the cost to the "plaintiffs". I also wonder how much these junk law suits are costing taxpayers at all levels of government. Trump, of course, is a master at playing the judicial system against itself.
I shameful, but Democrats have been a little slow to fight back.
Wow. Thank you Judd for continuing to dig into the insane situation in NC. This election feels more and more important as the GOP continues to find ways to cheat and disenfranchise voters. Keep up your excellent work!
This is so stupid. I am doing my best not to bang my head against the wall every morning.
This is personal and scary to consider the full import. A dear friend has a daughter who fits the category of American mom, German dad, dual citizen, votes in Michigan by absentee. The fact that American citizens will be denied their voting franchise due to a misunderstanding of the poor wording on a ballot with no recourse to fix the error is infuriating and sets the standard for all future elections. We are going backward. This must be what it felt like to live as an American in 1925 when the white supremists (the KKK, Ford), tech bros (Edison, Ford), manufacturing conglomerates (Carnegie, Ford) and stock market oligarchs (JP Morgan, Ford) ruled the American political landscape. Well silly me, that’s actually 2025, today. I guess history does rhyme.
Were their votes already counted? How do they know which ballot belongs to these people? Aren't votes considered secret?
Yes! How does NC match counted votes back to individual voters? Why is that not also a big issue?
I think they're just concocting specious scenarios targeting only blue areas, not overall. Nor are other races on the same ballots being questioned. It's absurd and transparently political.
I finally found an answer:
https://www.ncrabbithole.com/p/nc-supreme-court-jefferson-griffin-allison-riggs-vote-challenge
I’d comment further but the explanation says it all. The Atlantic article WHEN THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY IS PERSONAL by Graham is also excellent but behind a subscription wall.
Flawed data was the excuse not the reason. The NC Supreme Court acted on a purely partisan basis to attempt to steal a seat. And they will likely get away with it. As a result Republicans may never win a statewide election again as Democrats and the few fair minded Republicans that remain respond in anger and take out Tillis and every marginal Republican in Congress and the legislature that they can.
Don't bet on it. These actions are all designed to keep the GOP in permanent majority through extreme gerrymandering of House and state legislative districts and ensuring judicial support for vote suppression initiatives.
Gerrymandering does not work on statewide elections. Republican overreach will burn them sooner or later, and the magnitude of the overreach (like stealing an election) shrinks the timeline.
My point wasn't about statewide races per se, but does apply to court rulings. NC is pretty evenly split, so Tillis could face a real challenge from a good D candidate. The House and state legislative races are another matter. Also, fair minded Republicans? TBD.
People of North Carolina
Must Make A Stand …
Go to the Capitol…
Demand State Legislators to correct this lie.
Demand Local & National major media reporting it - Loudly!
Do not sit back!
Judd great reporting! Be Safe.
People of North Carolina need to Stay Safe. If they are only 1 percent at fault for their injuries they get nothing for damages due to the Contributory Negligence Law. Only four states still have this law. Reform NC Contributory Negligence Law!
https://chng.it/z85mVdst2n
You've written about this sore loser Griffin before, and his story is remarkable in that he stands in the sandbox and cries for mommy not caring that he looks like a big baby.
It would be one thing if there was obvious, intentional and malicious voter fraud but there just isn't, in North Carolina or anywhere. The most voter fraud (which is minuscule) has been Trump voters trying to squeeze a dead mom's vote out of a corpse, or the like.
I say send Griffin a box of diapers from all of us.
Oh, they're working hard to steal the election. Projection is a marvelous thing, isn't it? The judges of the courts who rule in the Republican's favor are openly flouting the law, as did Aileen Cannon, in support of the authoritarian takeover.
Kefferson Griffin is a true republican. We knew that and now it's been rigorously confirmed by PI.
The lies were baked right into his criminal layer cake long before the "R" went on top.
Thank you for your excellent reportage Judd, Rebecca and Noel!
Great report once again!