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

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.

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