(For media: b-roll video of the coalition’s new billboard in the Raleigh area can be downloaded here. Media have permission to use this b-roll video in stories.)

Griffin is pushing a dangerous, outlandish and unprecedented scheme to toss out the ballots of thousands of North Carolinians with no evidence. He seeks to overturn the 2024 election and steal a seat on the NC Supreme Court.

RALEIGH – A nonpartisan coalition of voting rights groups is calling on Jefferson Griffin, who lost a bid for a seat on the NC Supreme Court, to stop his shameful attempt to throw out the ballots of 60,000 North Carolinians and to instead respect the will of the voters.

Multiple recounts and careful audits have confirmed that North Carolina voters selected Justice Allison Riggs over Griffin in this year’s race for the NC Supreme Court.

However, Griffin has refused to accept the lawful outcome of the election. Instead, he and his campaign are unjustly targeting 60,000 North Carolina voters – with young people and Black voters challenged at higher rates – in hopes of tossing out their ballots and handing himself a seat on the state’s highest court.

In his latest desperate move, Griffin asked the Republican-majority NC Supreme Court to help him toss out votes and change the election results.

“That’s ridiculous,” said Terri B. of Granville County in a recent op-ed, who is among the voters being challenged without any evidence. “Throwing out my ballot would mean what I say doesn’t matter.” Terri registered to vote in 2004 at 21 and has voted in numerous elections over the past decade without incident.

In response to Griffin’s shameful challenge of 60,000 voters, a nonpartisan coalition of voting rights groups is launching a public information campaign alerting North Carolinians to the dangers posed by Griffin’s attempt to throw out ballots and reverse the election outcome. The voting rights groups’ outreach will include billboards, along with digital communications across social media platforms, and an online petition calling for Griffin to stop undermining the will of voters.

“The votes have been counted, and counted again. The results are confirmed. The people have spoken. Now, Jefferson Griffin should honor the will of the voters rather than focus on disenfranchising large numbers of them,” said Gino Nuzzolillo, campaigns manager with Common Cause North Carolina. “Our coalition’s public information campaign will continue until Griffin ends his shameful attempt to undermine the will of voters. It’s time to respect the election outcome and let North Carolina move forward.”

“Not accepting the results of an election and disingenuously impugning the voters with trying to cheat is reprehensible,” said Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate Votes.  “This election has been decided. Hard stop. Any effort to undo the results is like changing the rule of the game because your team did not win. That is not democracy.”

“This is a baseless attack on eligible voters,” said Katelin Kaiser, policy director at Democracy North Carolina. “These voters followed the rules, provided forms of legal identification, and elected Justice Riggs as their candidate of choice for the NC Supreme Court. Manipulating results when they do not go as planned undermines fair and free elections.”

(For media: b-roll video of the coalition’s new billboard in the Raleigh area can be downloaded here. Media have permission to use this b-roll video in stories.)

Common Cause NC is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process. Online: CommonCauseNC.org

Emancipate Votes is a nonprofit social welfare organization that supports educational and electoral strategies to end mass incarceration and structural racism in North Carolina. It is recognized under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue code online: Emancipatevotes.org

Democracy North Carolina is a statewide nonpartisan organization that uses research, organizing, and advocacy to strengthen democratic structures, build power among disenfranchised communities, and inspire confidence in a transformed political process that works for all. Learn more at democracync.org.