Legal Actions and investigations restrict North Carolina Election Board
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has had an eventful first 26 days of July, with two lawsuits, a federal investigation, and a state investigation.
The panel, led by Democrat Alan Hirsch, faced another lawsuit on Friday, this one filed by the state Democratic Party. Plaintiffs file request in Wake County Superior Court to remove the We the People Party from the November ballot.
According to Democrats, the board’s decision is seen as blurring the line between candidates and parties. This allows campaign committees, like the Kennedy campaign, to bypass ballot-access rules as well as the restrictions on campaign contributions and expenditures.
According to the documents filed, it is argued that North Carolina should not allow candidate campaigns to use the new-party recognition process to avoid the obligations that apply to unaffiliated candidates.
There is a growing movement supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president. The party’s recognition by the state enables it to field candidates for various positions.
It’s quite ironic that Kennedy, who used to be part of the party representing the plaintiffs, is now witnessing Democrats campaigning this year with a focus on putting democracy up for a vote. The state board left the Constitution Party in a state of uncertainty from June 26 until they finally granted approval on July 9.
The Center Square was unable to obtain comments from the state Board of Elections, as well as the respective state Democratic Party and Republican Party communications teams, prior to publication. (Stay tuned for updates on this story.)
A lawsuit was filed on Monday by three Fayetteville residents against the state Board of Elections. The lawsuit claims that the Board of Elections blocked the Justice for All Party, which supports Cornel West for president.
The Constitution Party is known for its conservative political leaning and is seen as a potential challenge to the Republican Party’s voter base. Possible strategies to attract voters from Democrats include “We the People” and “Justice for All.”
All three parties have successfully met the state’s 13,865 petition signature threshold, making them eligible for party recognition. The state board carefully considered the validity of each.
Friday marked 26 days since the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives announced its probe. Last Wednesday, the state board appeared before the Oversight Committee in the North Carolina House of Representatives for a four-hour session.
For those keeping track, it has been 26 days since the federal inquiry, and we now have just 43 days left until absentee ballots are mailed out on Sept. 6. As for Election Day, we have a total of 103 days remaining.
