Challenged voter: The real election fraud is in Judge Griffin’s lawsuit

In the wake of North Carolina’s recent Supreme Court election, the only fraud the public should be concerned about is the baseless lawsuit filed by the Republican candidate, Judge Jefferson Griffin. His legal challenge seeks to overturn the results of a fair and settled election by targeting 65,000 legally cast votes—mine among them.

Let me be clear: I registered to vote in June 2011 and have voted in every election since. In November, I cast my ballot early and complied with every legal requirement, including the new voter ID law. I even obtained a copy of my original voter registration from the Board of Elections—fully completed, entirely valid. Yet my vote is now under challenge. Why? I don’t know. I contacted the Griffin campaign three times and received no explanation. None.

Voters like me were not given fair notice or clear information about how or why our ballots were being questioned. This is not how democracy is supposed to work.

Griffin’s lawsuit is not about protecting election integrity. It’s about overturning an outcome he doesn’t like. A pair of judges on a North Carolina Court of Appeals panel suggested that if even one ballot were improperly cast, the entire election would be void. That’s an outrageous and dangerous precedent. There has been no proven fraud—none. And it defies logic and fairness to throw out 65,000 votes in an election decided by a few hundred.

Let’s call this what it is: a political temper tantrum dressed up as a legal argument. Griffin refuses to concede, consumed by the delusion that he can invalidate tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens’ votes simply because he lost. This isn’t just petty—it’s perilous.

What does it say about a would-be justice that he would pursue power through such means? If Griffin is seated on the North Carolina Supreme Court, how can anyone trust his rulings to be impartial? He has shown he is willing to twist the rules and cast aside democratic norms for his own gain.

Meanwhile, Justice Allison Riggs—the actual winner—has demonstrated the very integrity our courts depend on. Her decision to recuse herself from ruling on the case only underscores her commitment to justice. But make no mistake: she has every right to defend the voters who elected her.

North Carolina deserves better than this political circus. We deserve leaders who respect the will of the people. Griffin should step aside and allow the rightful winner to take her seat on the bench.

The only fraud here is the claim that 65,000 lawful votes should be erased.

Dr. Amy Bryant, MD, MSCR, is a gynecologist based in Durham, NC and a board member of the Society of Family Planning.