The North Carolina Board of Elections declined Wednesday to certify third-party presidential candidates’ place on the state’s ballot in November, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The board voted 3-2 to postpone approval of Mr. Kennedy, Cornel West and Randall Terry, saying it wanted more time to look over their cases. The board’s two Republicans supported certification but the three Democrats wanted the delay, citing questions about each of the petitions.
Another meeting is slated for next month, where the board will revisit the idea.
“Today the Democrat-controlled North Carolina Board of Elections has done Joe Biden’s bidding, willfully ignored North Carolina law, and betrayed the public trust of North Carolinians by voting not to qualify Cornel West or Robert Kennedy Jr. for the presidential ballot,” said Michael Whatley, chairman of the Republican National Committee.
He said the GOP is “leaving all options on the table to remedy this issue.”
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign said the state board was working to “game the system to help Biden.”
The belief among many Republicans is that Mr. Kennedy and Mr. West will siphon votes away from President Biden.
Indeed, it was a pro-Biden group that challenged the three candidates’ ballot access.
Clear Choice Action said the petitions had invalid signatures, gave faulty information or misled voters during the drive for signatures.
Getting certified as a party to earn ballot access in North Carolina requires far fewer signatures than making the ballot as an independent candidate.
Mr. Kennedy is seeking to be on the ballot as part of the We The People party. Mr. West is the All Party of North Carolina’s candidate. And Mr. Terry is the Constitution Party candidate.
Elections board Chairman Alan Hirsch insisted the vote wasn’t a rejection, but he said they want to make sure the people who signed Mr. Kennedy’s ballot petition knew what they were backing.
“It’s just to do our job,” Mr. Hirsch told We The People, according to the Associated Press.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.