Federal judge rules Cornel West must appear on NC ballot

(WWAY) — Another third party presidential candidate will appear on the North Carolina ballot this November, following a federal judge’s ruling on Monday.

Cornel West and the Justice for All party successfully challenged the North Carolina State Board of Elections in court.

According to a news release, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina ruled in favor of  Justice for All, highlighting that the Board’s refusal to certify the party despite it meeting all legal signature requirements was a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

In mid-July, the NCSBE recognized the We The People Party of North Carolina as an official political party in the state, but voted not to recognize the Justice for All party, citing evidence of fraud in the signature gathering process.

The court’s ruling can be appealed, but there’s not much time to do so. The State Board of Elections will soon start printing ballots so county boards of elections can begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters on September 6.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the other third party candidate on the ballot in November, who will also remain on the ballot after a judge rejected a preliminary injunction request by the NC Democratic Party, who challenged the board’s decision that declared We the People an official party.