Federal judge blocks ballot review in NC Supreme Court race

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- There is a new chapter in the still-undecided race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court.

A federal judge has blocked the start of a massive ballot review period.

The federal appeals court stopped the state elections board from contacting thousands of military and overseas voters whose ballots were called into question.

Democrat Allison Riggs leads the race by 734 votes, but Republican Jefferson Griffin challenged 65,000 ballots.

Earlier this month, the state supreme court ruled that most of the challenged ballots must remain in the election count.

However, military and overseas voters had 30 days to show proof of identity for their vote to count.

A North Carolina federal appeals court stopped the state elections board from contacting thousands of military and overseas voters whose ballots were called into question.In the meantime, NC military families living overseas have been left confused, wondering if their votes will count.

Riggs appealed the court's decision and a federal judge granted the stay Tuesday night.

The decision also stops the state board of elections from mailing out any notices to any potentially affected voters.

This race is still undecided, five months after the election. That makes it the only race in the country that hasn't been declared.