Republican Jefferson Griffin is challenging the state Board of Elections plan to only require overseas voters from Guilford County to provide photo ID in order for their ballots to count in November’s race for a seat on the state Supreme Court.
If the ID requirement is limited to Guilford, it could be difficult for Griffin to overcome Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs’ 734-vote lead.
The elections board has a 3-2 Democratic majority. Last week, the board said it will require 1,409 overseas and military voters in Guilford to provide a photo ID within 30 days to have their ballots counted. Griffin has also challenged overseas voters in five other Democratic-leaning counties, but the board said those challenges weren’t filed by the legal deadline.
In a filing to the state court of Appeals, Griffin wrote that the board of elections is planning to, "Disobey the court’s previous mandate."
If overseas voters in all six counties are required to show an ID, Griffin could make up enough votes to win. Riggs is appealing the photo ID requirement in federal court. The election was nearly six months ago.