Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has raised concerns about the national implications of questioning election outcomes, emphasizing that it threatens the integrity of free and fair elections.

The North Carolina Supreme Court has blocked the certification of the election results, directing that challenges to the election should first be resolved in lower state courts, marking a setback for Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the election has left many voters, including Annie Rickenbaugh, anxious about the status of their challenged ballots and the implications for their voting rights.

Critics, including voting rights advocates, argue that Griffin's actions are an attempt to disrupt democracy and disenfranchise voters, especially since all other races from the November election have been certified.

Griffin is contesting approximately 65,000 ballots in a close race against Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs, who currently leads by just 734 votes out of over 5.5 million cast.

If Griffin's challenge to exclude these ballots succeeds, he could potentially win the election and alter the conservative majority on the court.

The challenged ballots include those without valid identification numbers and overseas ballots that do not require photo ID under state rules, leading to concerns about disenfranchisement.

Chief Justice Paul Newby has expressed support for Griffin's challenge, raising concerns about public trust in the election process, while the state Board of Elections defends the legality of counting the votes.

The legal dispute continues more than 80 days after the election, with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals set to hear arguments regarding whether the case should remain in state or move to federal court.

Riggs, who was appointed to the court in 2023, has recused herself from the case and criticized Griffin's challenge as a waste of taxpayer resources.

U.S. District Judge Richard Myers returned the case to state court, citing unresolved questions of state law, which Griffin's team has appealed to the 4th Circuit.