A Republican judge is trying to overturn his election loss by challenging more than 60,000 ballots. These are some of those voters’ stories.

More than 80 days after Election Day, a race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court remains unresolved. That's because the Republican candidate is contesting some 65,000 ballots.

The North Carolina Supreme Court rejected an effort from Republican Jefferson Griffin to expedite his appeal to toss out more than 60,000 ballots in a hotly contested judicial race. The state’s high court ruled that Griffin must have his appeal through Wake County Superior Court before it can be considered by the state Supreme Court.

In this moment of crisis, the courts have become the final guardrail against the forces of authoritarianism that seek to undermine the will of the voters.

The N.C. Supreme Court is weighing whether to toss out more than 60,000 ballots cast in the race for a seat on that tribunal. That race is the last uncertified statewide contest in the nation.

A federal appeals panel has heard arguments involving a still-unresolved November election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat. Three judges on the 4th U.S.