A federal judge has ruled that Cornel West must be placed on North Carolina's ballot in November, overturning the state's elections board's decision to reject the independent presidential candidate's petition. The North Carolina State Board of Elections had initially rejected West's ballot access petition in July due to concerns about the legitimacy of signatures gathered by paid petition circulators with Republican ties.
Upon investigation, the board found that 21 out of 49 petition signers either denied signing the petitions or could not recall doing so. Board chair Alan Hirsch expressed doubts about the legitimacy of West's signature gathering process, stating he had 'no confidence' in its authenticity.
Following the board's decision, a group of West supporters filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing that denying West ballot access violated their First Amendment and 14th Amendment rights. US District Judge Terrence Boyle sided with the supporters and ordered the board to certify the Justice For All Party, which West's campaign had used to meet ballot access requirements in the state.
In his ruling, Boyle criticized the board for disenfranchising over 17,000 North Carolina voters who had signed petitions to certify JFA as a new political party on questionable grounds. This decision now secures West's spot on the ballot in a crucial battleground state as his campaign focuses on gaining access to other contested states in the upcoming weeks.
West has already qualified for the ballot in six states, including North Carolina, and has also secured ballot access in South Carolina, Alaska, Vermont, Oregon, and Colorado. His campaign continues to pursue ballot access in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Maine since July.
