If you would like to help the Constitution Party get on the ballot you can download and sign our petition here. and mail it to : 7209 -J – W.T. Harris Blvd Charlotte, NC
You can also help by contacting your State legislators.
North Carolina Has some of the most restrictive Ballot Access Laws in the Country.
The General Assembly will be introducing legislation that will lower the requirement for new parties to get on the North Carolina ballot.
Please call and email you state Representative today and ask them to pass the Voter Freedom Act of 2013.
To find you state Representative please visit the NC General Assembly’s website HERE
Some key highlights
Thirty-three out of 50 states require 10,000 signatures or less for a new political party or statewide unaffiliated candidate. Twenty-two states require 5,000 signatures or less.
North Carolina now has the highest petition requirement for a new political party now that California’s requirement has been held unconstitutional and is not currently in effect.
North Carolina is one of only two states that require a candidate to petition to be a write in candidate. We require 500 signatures for statewide office. California the only other state requiring petitions for write-ins only requires 65 signatures for statewide office and zero for president.
What the bill would do:
1. Reduce the number of signatures a new political party needs to obtain ballot access from 89,366 signatures to 11,171 signatures.
2. Changes the requirement for a new political party to retain ballot access from 2% of the vote cast for Governor or President in that election to 0.25% of the vote cast for Governor or President in that election.
3. Reduce the number of signatures that Statewide Unaffiliated Candidates would need for ballot access from 89,366 signature to 11,171 signatures.
4. Reduce the number of signatures that Unaffiliated Candidates for US Congressional seats from 19,107 signatures on average to approximately 4,777 signatures.
5. Reduce the number of signatures that Unaffiliated Candidates for NC Senate seats from 4,968 signatures on average to approximately 1,242 signatures.
6. Reduce the number of signatures that Unaffiliated Candidates for NC House seats from 2,070 signatures on average to approximately 518 signatures.
7.Allow political parties in North Carolina to choose how to nominate their candidates for partisan office. The bill would allow parties to choose to nominate by Primary Election or by Convention.
8. For parties choosing to nominate by Primary, the bill would eliminate second primary run-off elections, nominating candidate by simple plurality, saving the taxpayers millions in funds that can go to better use.