Third party presidential candidates blocked from NC ballot, at least temporarily

The Kennedy campaign bus has made appearances in Raleigh this year, but Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remains blocked from the state's presidential ballot for now. (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

The state Board of Elections refused along party lines to recognize as political parties the groups trying to put Robert Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West on the November presidential ballot. 

Democrats on the board rejected petitions from Justice for All, which is trying to put West on the ballot, and from Kennedy’s We the People party.

They also rejected the Constitution Party. 

The board’s three Democrats want state and county elections administrators to investigate the petitions. Board Chairman Alan Hirsch said the investigations would be quick. Republicans said no investigations are necessary. 

“I think we’re going off the rails here,” said Kevin Lewis, a Republican board member. 

Potential new parties need signatures of at least 13,865 registered voters to qualify for consideration. Information on the state Board of Elections website shows that each group cleared the bar for verified signatures on their petitions. 

State Democrats and a Democrat-aligned super PAC called Clear Choice Action are objecting to having the state recognize Justice for All and We the People as political parties. Polls have shown that third-party candidates weaken support for President Joe Biden.

Board members on Wednesday questioned the Constitution Party chairman about having his former home address rather than his current address on the forms as required. 

Democrats on the board wanted to know whether Justice for All actually wanted to start a political party or whether the intent was to get West on the ballot to help sink Biden’s chances. 

The board watched a video submitted with the Clear Choice Action protest letter. The video  posted to social media by a Washington Post reporter shows pro-Donald Trump activist Scott Presler gathering signatures for West at a planned Trump rally in Wilmington. In the video, Presler juggled papers on a clipboard as he made his pitch.  

“This helps take away votes from Joseph Biden,” Presler said. 

“We’re helping the Trump team, just trying to get him on there,” said an unidentified woman standing beside Presler.

NBC reported that three volunteers authorized to drop off and pick up signatures for Justice for All in North Carolina work for or used to work for a Republican marketing firm out of Colorado. 

Justice for All North Carolina co-chairman Italo Medelius fielded questions about signature gathering and how much control the group had over volunteers. 

Justice for All met the petition requirements in state law, he stressed. 

“It was, as the Clear Choice Action complaint said, it was a mess,” Medelius said.  “I will completely say that. But it’s a mess that we’re proud of. We did this as volunteers. We do have the systems in place to meet the law and the statutory requirements of the law.”

Questions about We the People centered on what those who signed the petition were told about its purpose and whether We the People is a real political party or simply a vehicle to drive Kennedy’s name onto the ballot without his having to gather more than 83,000 signatures as required of independent presidential candidates. 

Recalling she was the sole vote against the decision last year to certify No Labels as a political party, board member Siobhan Millen said political operatives shouldn’t be allowed to game the system. 

No Labels fought for ballot access as it tried to find a presidential candidate to run this year under its banner. That recruitment effort collapsed. Former Republican North Carolina Governor and No Labels co-chair Pat McCrory quit the group in March.

“If this board continues to rubber stamp thinly-veiled so-called parties, national operatives are going to continue to come in and try to manipulate our system,” Millen said. “Allowing unaffiliated candidates to follow the more lenient new party rules by creating faux parties is turning a blind eye to partisan mischief, potentially. And we need to look at that. And it’s time to put a stop to it.”

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