The near-final tally in the hand-to-eye recount for the North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 6 is in. As reported, 98 out of 100 counties have finalized their counts, leaving just Brunswick and Currituck to wrap up proceedings early next week due to board member scheduling conflicts. The completion of recounts in these counties is slated for Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
According to a release from the State Board of Elections, the results of the partial recount are being assembled and will be announced following the conclusion of recounts in the remaining two counties. Post-machine recount, Republican candidate Jefferson G. Griffin stood 734 votes behind Democrat Allison Riggs, in a race that saw over 5.5 million votes cast. Griffin had called for the hand-to-eye recount which serves as a check against the machine recount results.
On Wednesday, the State Board will meet in Raleigh to address election protests and filings from Griffin's campaign. State Board of Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell thanked county boards and workers for their efforts. She said, "We applaud the county boards of elections and all of the workers who are assisting them in completing these recounts, hearing the protests from the Griffin campaign, and otherwise conducting post-election tasks." Bell's statement also alludes to the additional strain put on election staff by the recent presidential election as well as the impact of Hurricane Helene. She requested patience as the different boards ensure that all actions are accurate and legally compliant.
