NC Board of Elections denies initial bids for 3 political parties

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The North Carolina Board of Elections' Democratic majority denied certification to three political parties looking to place candidates on November's presidential ballot.

The decision means that for now, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s, "We The People," Cornel West's "Justice for All," and Randall Terry's Constitution Party will not appear on the state's ballot as presidential candidates.

According to ABC11's newsgathering partners at the News and Observer, the board said Democratic board members expressed concerns on Wednesday about improper addresses, misleading petition gatherers, and voters who asked for their signatures to be removed, which prompted them to deny certification.

The board chair, Alan Hirsch, said they will vote again after further investigation.

RELATED: Constitution Party fighting to secure spot on NC 2024 ballot: 'Nobody owns the vote'

Three third parties are working to get on the November ballot in North Carolina.

NCGOP Communications Director Matt Mercer stated his displeasure with the decision.

"The State Board of Elections' majority have shown yet again there is no action too outrageous or too radical they won't make to protect Joe Biden and Democrats," Mercer said. "Yesterday, the question was whether they would follow the law or protect Joe Biden. Today, we have the answer: a disgusting abuse of process that has yet again only served to protect Democrats at the expense of North Carolina voters."

Steven Cheung, who is the communications director for the Trump campaign, also issued a statement calling the decision a "blatant election interference". It said in part:

"We have seen it with the weaponization of the justice system in an effort to take President Trump off the campaign trail and even off the ballot, depriving Americans their Constitutional right to vote for their candidate of choice. Now Democrats in North Carolina are doing the same to game the system to help Biden. The assault on President Trump's 14th Amendment right of equal protection of the law is equally abhorrent as Democrats continue to shred the very fabric of our country."

As it stands, the Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, and No Labels parties have secured spots on the November ballot.

Featured video is from a previous report