North Carolina officials clear way for political party boosting RFK Jr.

North Carolina‘s election board approved recognizing the We the People Party as it seeks to get independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the ballot in the state.

The board voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve the We the People Party, which was created as a vehicle to get Kennedy ballot access in a few states, less than a month after it rejected initial efforts to be recognized. The party successfully submitted the required number of signatures, along with at least 200 in three congressional districts, to be recognized by the state as a party.

The board said the party’s nominated candidates, including Kennedy for president and Nicole Shanahan for vice president, will be on the ballot in November. The party will be an option for voters to register with, alongside the Republican, Democratic, Constitution, Green, Libertarian, and No Labels parties.

With Kennedy’s party confirmed, the independent candidate now has confirmed ballot access in states amounting to 99 electoral votes, according to Decision Desk HQ and the Hill. Kennedy’s campaign has claimed it has qualified for ballots in states amounting to 390 electoral votes.

While the state approved Kennedy’s party, it rejected recognition to the Justice for All Party, which is looking to get independent presidential candidate Cornel West on the ballot. The board voted 3-2, with all three Democratic members voting against recognition.

Board members who voted against the Justice for All Party said they did so due to concerns about fraud in the signature gathering process and a lack of cooperation by canvassers to subpoenas for information made by the state board of elections.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state and has been rated “lean Republican” by the Cook Political Report.

The RealClearPolitics polling average shows former President Donald Trump leading President Joe Biden, 47%-41.6%, in a head-to-head race. Trump leads a field of five candidates with 44%, compared to Biden’s 37%, and Kennedy’s 6.8%.