Another political party in North Carolina OK’d for fall; 2 others remain in limbo

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s elections board certified unanimously on Tuesday a right-leaning political party to field candidates this fall in the state, but again deferred final action for two organizations that collected signatures to help get Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West on the presidential ballot.

The Constitution Party of North Carolina will join several other parties already officially recognized by the state. Board staff determined the party collected enough valid signatures from registered and qualified voters to exceed a threshold set in state law. The Constitution Party had been an official party in 2020, but it failed to perform well enough in that election to remain one.

Two weeks ago, the State Board of Elections voted 3-2 against a motion giving the Constitution Party formal recognition, citing concern about the mailing address for the group’s chairman on signature collection documents. The board’s Democratic majority made up the prevailing side. But board Chair Alan Hirsch said before Tuesday’s 5-0 vote that the issue was very technical in nature. “I am of the view that on reflection that we shouldn’t stand in the way for any potential technical errors,” Hirsch said.

The Democratic majority last month also declined to approve official recognition of the We The People party and Justice for All Party of North Carolina, although board officials confirmed that both petition efforts had turned in more valid signatures than the 13,865 required. That threshold is much larger than what Kennedy, an author and environmental lawyer, and West, a professor and progressive activist, would have needed if they sought to run statewide as independent candidates.