North Carolina Democrats block certification of parties that put RFK Jr., Cornel West on ballot

The North Carolina Board of Elections on Wednesday denied the certifications of three new political parties that sought to place independent presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Cornel West on the state ballot.

Kennedy and West are attempting long shot bids for the White House in November, and have launched nationwide efforts to appear on the ballots in all 50 states. Kennedy said he has filed enough signatures to qualify on the ballots in 22 states so far, though not all have approved him yet.

The Democratic-led elections board voted against certifying the three newer parties We The People, Justice For All, and the Constitution Party. Kennedy would have appeared for We The People, while West would have been the candidate for Justice for All, according to the publication The News & Observer.

“Today the Democrat-controlled North Carolina Board of Elections has done [President] 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," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. "This is one more example of Democrats fracturing trust in America’s democratic institutions and flouting the electoral process in their increasingly desperate attempts to hold onto political power."

The two Republicans on the North Carolina elections board supported certifying the three parties. 

North Carolina is considered a swing state, and has a Republican-led legislative branch, but a Democratic executive branch. Former President Donald Trump also won the state in 2016, but Biden flipped it in 2020.

Steven Cheung, the communications director for Trump's campaign, also blasted the board's decision, accusing it of depriving voters of their "constitutional right" to vote for whatever candidate they want.

"Throughout this election we have seen Democrats try to engage in blatant election interference because they know they have a flawed candidate in Crooked Joe Biden," Cheung said in a statement shared with Just The News. "Those who have engaged in these un-American acts must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and receive the harshest punishment possible so these injustices will never be repeated."

The state elections board said its decision was not final, but candidates only have until July 1 to file for office. However, the board will hold another vote on the three parties next month after further investigation into the parties. If approved, the board's Chairman Alan Hirsch the deadline could be waived.

“Presuming that we eventually approve this party, I feel 100% confident that we should vote to place these people on the ballot anyway once they’re approved – regardless of the date,” Hirsch said. “If somebody wants to sue us about it, they can do that. But I can’t imagine anybody would.”

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.