third party candidates

A last-minute order from the North Carolina Court of Appeals blocked state elections officials from proceeding with the statutory start of mailing out absentee ballots.

A state trial judge denied Kennedy's request for a temporary restraining order to delay the start of sending out absentee ballots and an order that elections officials remove his name.

In a hearing the day before absentee ballots are set to start getting sent out to North Carolina voters, a Wake County Superior Court judge will consider Robert F. Kennedy's demand to have his name removed.

While Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sues to get removed from North Carolina's ballot, the presidential candidate is fighting for access to New York's ballot.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has lost twice in his battles to stay on the presidential ballot in some states and get off of it in others. North Carolina's elections board refused to take him off that state's ballot Thursday, with a majority saying it was too late for him to withdraw.

Three registered voters in North Carolina are suing the State Board of Elections, alleging that it violated their constitutional rights. At issue is the board's rejection last week of a petition seeking recognition for a political party that would put Cornel West on the presidential ballot.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections officially recognized “We the People” as a party, putting Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., on the ballot as a presidential candidate

The board voted Tuesday to recognize the We The People party. It means the party can place Kennedy on statewide ballots. But the election board's Democratic majority refused a similar effort by the Justice for All Party of North Carolina, a group backing Cornel West.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections met Tuesday afternoon and voted unanimously to allow the Constitution Party to place its candidates on the ballot. But the board took no action on two other, more prominent third parties: We the People, whose preferred candidate is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Justice for All, whose presidential candidate is Cornel West.

In a split vote, the state elections board has, for now, denied recognition for three alternative political parties.