The people whose ballots have been challenged in the NC State Supreme Court race, and the national implications

The word "Due" read from top-down and "South" left-right, with the U shared between them. Reminiscent of a compass.

Due South

The people whose ballots have been challenged in the NC State Supreme Court race, and the national implications

By Leoneda Inge,

Published February 18, 2025 at 1:21 PM EST

The late Shirley Kerr voting in the 2024 election. And right, protesters hang a sign in front of the NC Capitol that reads "The People vs Griffin." — Shirley Kerr (left) voted in the 2024 election. She died shortly after casting her ballot and now her daughter, Leah Kerr, is trying to make sure her vote counts. (Right) protesters hang a sign in front of the NC Capitol that reads "The People vs Griffin."

More than 60,000 North Carolinians鈥� ballots are being challenged by the Republican candidate for a state Supreme Court Justice seat.

An update on the legal case and protests over the weekend from 瓜神app's Rusty Jacobs.

And who those people are, how they feel about their ballots being challenged.

Plus, a national perspective on what this election dispute could mean for future democratic elections in the U.S.

Editor's note: Some 瓜神app employees are included among the votes being challenged in the NC Supreme Court election. Our coverage of this issue follows 瓜神app's editorial standards.

Guests

Rusty Jacobs, Voting and Election Integrity reporter for 瓜神app

Jen Baddour, voter whose ballot has been challenged in the NC State Supreme Court race, she is included in a lawsuit against the ballot challenge

Leah Kerr, daughter of a woman whose ballot is being challenged. Her mother, Leah Kerr, died shortly after voted in November.

Doug Bock Clark, reporter in ProPublica's South unit

Related resources:

瓜神app's full coverage of this issue can be found here.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has created a resource for people whose ballots are being challenged, including a "full list of voters challenged in each type of protest" 鈥�

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Leoneda Inge

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of 瓜神app's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at 瓜神app as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda鈥檚 work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital 瓜神app Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.

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Rusty Jacobs

Rusty Jacobs is 瓜神app's Voting and Election Integrity Reporter.

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Cole del Charco

Cole del Charco is an audio producer and writer based in Durham. He's made stories for public radio's All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Marketplace. Before joining Due South, he spent time as a freelance journalist, an education and daily news reporter for 瓜神app, and a podcast producer for WFAE in Charlotte.

See stories by Cole del Charco