Democrat Allison Riggs leads Republican Jefferson Griffin by 625 votes. (Courtesy photos)

North Carolina county election boards began their recounts Wednesday in a much-watched Supreme Court contest in which just over 600 votes separate the Democratic and Republican candidates.

Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin formally requested the recount on Tuesday prior to the noon deadline. He trails Democratic incumbent Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 625 votes.

It’s the only statewide race where there will be a recount, in addition to five General Assembly contests at the single- or multi-county level, the Associated Press reported.

All recounts should be completed no later than Nov. 27, according to a press release. The recount results will become official.

“Recounts are a regular part of the elections process when contests are close, and they help ensure that the results are accurate and that the public can have confidence that the candidate who received the most votes wins the election,” Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said in a statement. “Recounts are conducted by bipartisan teams and are open to the public whenever and wherever they occur.”

Griffins had a lead of about 10,000 votes on election night. Since then, county election boards have added absentee and provisional ballots to the total count.

More than 5.5 million ballots were cast in the Supreme Court race. Second-place candidates are able to demand a recount in statewide races where the difference is less than 10,000 votes.

“My goal has always been to ensure that every voter’s voice is heard,” Riggs shared on social media. “We expect a smooth recount process, and I continue to feel gratitude for our election administrators.”

Griffin also filed election protests on Tuesday challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots across the state, according to the North Carolina Republican Party. There are more than 300 documents of protests.

“These protests are about one fundamental principle: ensuring every legal vote is counted,” Griffin said in a press release.

Earlier in the week, Griffin sued the State Board of Elections on Monday, claiming it wasn’t providing data quickly enough for him to request a recount by the deadline.

North Carolina has a history of tight judicial races. In 2020, Republican Paul Newby topped Democrat Cheri Beasley by 401 votes out of nearly 5.4 million cast in the North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice contest.