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.

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 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.