On November 16, the independent candidate who is challenging North Carolina’s petition requirements for independent U.S. House candidates filed this brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th circuit. The law requires a petition signed by 4% of the number of registered voters. No independent candidate has ever appeared on a North Carolina government-printed ballot for that office. However, the U.S. District Court upheld the law because it is believed that an independent candidate petition did succeed this year. However, the petition was for a candidate who then refused to run. The petition had been sponsored by the Service Employees International Union, which has a great deal of resources and which probably spent between $50,000 and $100,000 on the drive.
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I am running for Kinston City Council in 2011 and am required to obtain the 4% for the petition. I have already obtained over 500 and the requirement in a little over 600.
What I find obscure and disturbing is the fact that on election day no picture ID is required for vote, only name and address. So theoretically, anyone could vote using your name if they know your address, as well.
Yet, I am required to obtain 600 signatures to get on the ballot. Each signer must give their birth date and address and sign. Then each signature must be validated by the elections board.
I believe in ballot access reform. I have been exposed to the irony.
What genius lawyer has ANY brain cells to detect that —
Separate is NOT equal.
Brown v. Bd of Ed 1954 ???
Equal as in the EQUAL protection clause in 14th Amdt, Sec. 1.