The election battle between a sitting North Carolina Supreme Court justice and her Republican challenger ran into a panel of federal judges Monday concerned that their ruling could welcome a new wave of election litigation.

A federal appeals panel has heard arguments involving a still-unresolved November election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat.

Republicans on the state's highest court suggested they are willing to toss Democrat Allison Riggs' election win

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.

The North Carolina Supreme Court has dismissed a request by the trailing candidate in an close race for a seat on the court to rule now on whether well over 60,000 ballots should be removed from the tally.

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.

GOP is trying to overturn a closely watched North Carolina Supreme Court election between Allison Riggs (D) and Jefferson Griffin (R).

In early January, the Republican majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court blocked the State Board of Elections from certifying the victory of Democratic Justice Allison Riggs