The election board of North Carolina has recently made a decision regarding the bids of two political parties to nominate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Cornel West as their candidates for the upcoming 2024 election.
State election officials have confirmed that both the We the People Party and the Justice for All Party submitted more than the required 13,865 valid signatures to register as political parties. This met the necessary criteria for formal recognition, which would allow them to select candidates for the ballot.
However, the motion for formal recognition was blocked by three Democrats on the election board. Their concerns revolved around how the third parties presented themselves during the signature gathering process and whether voters fully understood their objectives.
As a result, a delay has been put in place to further investigate whether the two parties were operating as coherent political organizations or merely as a means for Kennedy and West to run as 'independent' candidates.
It is worth noting that independent candidates in North Carolina face a significantly higher signature threshold of 83,188 to qualify for the ballot.
Board Chair Alan Hirsch clarified to the leaders of We The People that the challenge was not intended to deny their status as a party but rather to ensure that the individuals who signed the petition were fully informed about the purpose and intent of the parties.
The elections board is set to reconvene on July 9 to revisit the demand for formal recognition by the two parties. The decision made during this upcoming meeting will have significant implications for the political landscape leading up to the 2024 election in North Carolina.
