Visit www.comoncause.org to see all the names on the list. (File photo)
ANSON COUNTY — The election dispute involving Republican Jefferson Griffin and Democrat Allison Riggs race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court has ignited a firestorm of questions regarding not only the integrity of the American voting process but in the integrity of an individual’s vote to count.
Despite an election whose outcome seemingly favors his opponent, Griffin refuses to concede, even with multiple recounts of the ballots showing a slight 734 lead by Riggs. Griffin is protesting thousands of ballots over claims of alleged voting irregularities. The North Carolina State Board of Elections have so far dismissed his assertions due to a lack of evidence.
While the court system now battles it out, Cynthia Wallace with the New Rural Project wants North Carolinians to know Griffin isn’t just trying to throw out a few votes, or even just those potentially legally invalid — he wants 65,000 ballots cast in the Nov. 5 election tossed out — many of those votes coming from Anson and Richmond Counties.
“After two recounts in November and early December that were validated, Jefferson Griffin basically just doesn’t want to take no for an answer,” explains Wallace. “He is now challenging that there are people, who I guess, weren’t legitimate voters, as of the time of the election and their votes should thus not be counted. Most of the votes are from people who voted prior to election day, and even some of his challenges aren’t across all of the counties — it’s specific counties. I think the overseas votes — is maybe across five counties, not all of them,” she points out.
Most of Griffin’s “invalid voters” were deemed so largely due to clerical errors made through no fault of their own and most likely occurred unbeknownst to the individual voter. To narrow down these voters, Griffin created what has become known as “Griffin’s List,” or a list of names comprised of voters he believes are invalid. Among those names on Griffin’s exclusive list is Ansonville’s own Mayor Angela Caraway.
Caraway says she was just going about her daily life when an email popped up in her inbox from a reporter informing her that she was on Griffin’s List. Initially believing the alert to be a scam, Caraway says she didn’t think too much of it until a friend told her of the list and that her name was on it. According to Griffin, Mayor Caraway has a clerical issue with her license that he believes invalidates her from having the right to cast a vote in the November 5 election.
This clerical error apparently did not raise any flags at the voting booth or with the State Board of Election when Caraway, or any other voters on Griffin’s List, cast their vote in the hotly contested race.
“That is the part that really gets me — the problem I have with it is the inconvenience to over 60,000 people. How do we get the word out? People don’t even know they are on this list,” says Caraway.
Working to combat the issue, Wallace’s team at the New Rural Project are making phone calls and leaping into action wherever and whenever they can to get the word out. The New Rural Project covers seven counties including Anson, Union, Richmond, Scotland, Robeson, Moore and Hoke. The group is working tirelessly to inform voters they are on the list across all seven of the counties they cover.
Wallace says concerned voters can contact their Board of Elections to determine if there are any issues with their right to vote in upcoming elections or if they have been named on the infamous “Griffin’s List.” Another option for voters is www.comoncause.org where a link to all the names on the list can be viewed online.
