In November, Riggs won an election for the state supreme court by a razor-thin 734 votes. But on Friday, the North Carolina supreme court ordered the state board of elections to give certain overseas voters 30 days to prove their eligibility in order to have the votes they cast more than five months ago count.

Riggs has already asked a federal court to intervene and halt the ruling, which could lead to the election results being overturned. She told the Guardian she sees her court challenge as about more than just her seat.

“I worry that this is honing a playbook to be used in the future, that people in power hold on to power by selectively challenging election outcomes that they don’t like,” she said.