Parties for Kennedy, West, Terry denied North Carolina ballot access

(The Center Square) – Three political parties respectively supporting longshot presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Randall Terry were denied access to North Carolina’s November ballot Wednesday by the state Board of Elections.

The board said it would reconsider in July.

We The People, for Kennedy; Justice for All Party, for West; and the Constitution Party, for Terry, on June 3 turned in what they believed to be valid and ample number of required signatures to access the ballot. They’re hoping to be the preferred choice in a race with incumbent Democrat Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump.

Each, however, was denied 3-2. Chairman Alan Hirsch, Jeff Carmon and Siobhan Millan, all Democrats, were united against. Republicans Stacy Eggers and Kevin Lewis voted for the prospective parties.

For context, Hirsch, Carmon and Millan are from the party saying democracy – Merriam-Webster defines it as government by the people, supreme power vested in the people – is on the ballot this election cycle. Polling shows adding candidates helps the Republican Party in the presidential race.

In North Carolina, however, their additions might not matter. In the last 60 years, the only Republican candidates to not carry the state are in 14 cycles incumbent Gerald Ford in 1976 and John McCain in 2008.

Access would allow the parties to run candidates for any position, not just president.

Proposed parties needed valid signatures of 13,865 registered and qualified voters.

Parties officially recognized through state statutes already are Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green and No Labels. The blocs of the state’s more than 7.5 million voters through Saturday are 37.3% unaffiliated, 31.9% Democrats and 30% Republicans.

Democrats or the party’s alternative choice make up three-fifths of the state board, per state law because their party is represented by the governor. Republicans have options on the other two. County boards are likewise.

Republican lawmakers this session failed to get legislation through changing the makeup of the state and county boards, providing the two major parties equal representation. Democrats sued over the measure and litigation is ongoing.

In 2022, the state board denied the Green Party access to the ballot. Litigation ended with the state board in the wrong and paying legal fees for the party.