The article focuses on a legal battle in North Carolina involving the close Supreme Court election between Republican Jefferson Griffin and Democrat Allison Riggs. Four Republican justices attempted to overturn Riggs' victory by disenfranchising thousands of voters.
The targeted voters were primarily military and overseas voters who cast absentee ballots without submitting photo IDs, although state law allows this. The Republican justices argued these ballots were invalid, citing a separate provision requiring rules governing absentee voter IDs. This action affected only four Democratic-leaning counties.
The attempt is compared to Bush v. Gore, where the Supreme Court halted a recount due to non-uniform application of rules across Florida counties. The article argues the North Carolina action violates the same constitutional principle of requiring uniform election rules.
A federal judge issued a temporary order preventing the certification of election results until the case concludes in federal court. The article suggests that precedent from previous appeals court cases, and the Bush v. Gore decision, favor Riggs's position.
The Fourth Circuit, the appeals court with a Democratic majority, is likely to review the case. The article notes uncertainty regarding the US Supreme Court's potential involvement and the implications of such involvement.