RightCount Action TV ad opposing GOP attempts to throw out ballots. (Screenshot)
The Republican-led group RightCount Action is running an ad in major television markets opposing GOP Judge Jefferson Griffin’s attempts to discard votes in his race.
The ad features Moore County voter James Danz, a registered Republican who says that he voted for President Donald Trump and Griffin.
“I voted Republican my whole life,” he says in the ad. “Now politicians are trying to cancel my vote here in North Carolina.”
“Regardless of how you vote, all of us need to stand together to stop this attack on our elections.”
A press release says the ad is part of a six-figure television and digital campaign in the Raleigh, Charlotte, and Greensboro markets.
Griffin, an Appeals Court judge, is trailing incumbent Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs in the race for a seat on the high court by 734 votes. In an attempt to win, Griffin is seeking to throw out more than 60,000 votes. The state GOP is supporting him.
The State Board of Elections dismissed his protests. Both state and federal courts are considering aspects of the case.
Other groups are opposing Griffin’s attempts to throw out ballots, but most of those organizations are known as long-time voting-rights advocates.
RightCount says its mission is helping “fortify and protect the rule of law in the tabulation of voting across the United States,” according to its website.
Former Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, leads the RightCount chapter in North Carolina.
Most of the votes Griffin is seeking to discard were cast by voters his campaign claims failed to provide a driver’s license number or a partial Social Security number on their voter application forms. He claims those voters are not legally registered.
Many voters have come forward to say they provided that information when they registered but it didn’t show up in the voter database because of typos or data mismatches.
The state GOP blames the state elections board for ignoring the problem.
The RightCount ad encourages people to search the website thegriffinlist.com to see if vote is being challenged.
In an interview, Danz said he was surprised to find his name on Griffin’s list. He remembers providing his driver’s license number when he registered.
“When it comes to voter integrity, to me that’s an American issue. It’s not a conservative issue or liberal issue,” Danz said.
“I’m a voter. I cast my votes. I want my votes to count.”