A three-judge panel of the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled Friday that more than 65,000 votes cast in the contested race for the state Supreme Court in 2024 must be recounted and verified — a win for the Republican candidate in the razor-thin, disputed contest and a decision that could potentially tip the election results in his favor. In the ruling, the Republican majority involved in the decision ordered that a group of more than 65,000 voters, whose eligibility was challenged by Republican Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin and his lawyers, now have 15 business days to provide state elections officials with the necessary proof of identity that would verify their votes.

The battle for the country’s last undecided statewide race from 2024 took a dramatic turn on Friday. A three-judge panel of the North Carolina appeals court ruled that more than 65,000 voters would have to go to their local elections board and prove — again — that they legally cast their ballots in the state Supreme Court race. If they do not do so in 15 days, their vote will not count and they will be effectively disenfranchised. The vote split along party lines. The two Republican judges sided with Supreme Court justice candidate and fellow Republican Jefferson Griffin, who himself serves on the state appeals court, and the Democratic judge dissented. Griffin is challenging his unofficial loss to Democrat Allison Riggs in a state Supreme Court race decided by just 734 votes out of 5.5 million cast.

The ruling from the appeals court ordering “more than 65,000 voters” to prove their eligibility comes after Judge Jefferson Griffin, who ran against North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs in November, challenged the results of the election, according to NBC News. Per the outlet, voters “now have 15 business days to provide state elections officials with the necessary proof of identity that would verify their votes,” and voters who do not respond “will not have their votes counted in the race.”