Constitution Party of NC Hits Threshold For Ballot Access

RALEIGH – The Constitution Party of North Carolina, as of Tuesday, has collected enough signatures from the 100 counties of the state to get ballot access, according to the N.C. State Board of Elections.

According to the State Board of Elections Website at 10:59 AM we have reached the required number of signatures. #ncpol #2018elections pic.twitter.com/Ebfj92IbBc

— ConstitutionPartyNC (@ConstituPartyNC) May 15, 2018

Just over a year ago the N.C. General Assembly passed Senate Bill 656 into law, reducing the number of signatures required to achieve ballot access by more than 85 percent.

The law also reduced the threshold for plurality to 30 percent (from 40 percent) for primary elections. This means a primary candidate leading the vote totals need only receive 30 percent to be declared the victor and become the party nominee. That could be problematic for several reasons, but, alas, is not the subject of this post.

The first new political party to achieve ballot access under the new law was the N.C. Green Party – hardly an appetizing option, even for most Democrats in the Old North State.

The Constitution Party of North Carolina is now the second, and there platform is a lot more palatable for conservatives.

Their core values articulate what most limited-government conservatives aim for when deciding which candidates will get their vote.

The 7 ESSENTIAL CORE VALUES
1. Life
2. Religious Freedom
3. Traditional Family
4. Private Property Rights
5.Pro- Second Amendment
6. Anti-Socialism
7. National Sovereignty

These are the values that the Republican Party SHOULD stand for, but so often abandons in the name of political correctness or special interests. Hence the creation of the Constitution Party of NC.

Although the party will likely field candidates that are more principled, the effect on overall political results will likely be muted due to the simple dynamics involved in elections.

Can the party achieve a critical mass in districts sufficient to actually win elections? Will the party ever be a statewide contender?

The Libertarian Party has long enjoyed ballot access, but, as with most third party options, it has not chipped away enough at the two main parties to enjoy success at the ballot box.

Instead the third parties naturally pull over votes from the two main parties, at best advancing their arguments, but at worst handing a close election to the party most opposed to their values.

If Republican constitutionalists jump to the new party, but the party itself fails to make headway in any elections, what, then, will be the effect on the Republican Party?

It’s a good question and will be interesting to see what effect, if any, the new parties will have in forthcoming elections across the state. At the very least, conservatives faced with ‘lesser of two evils’ choices may yet have a chance to confidently vote their values.

You can learn more about the Constitution Party of North Carolina and their platform here.