On July 15, U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever set a status conference for the North Carolina Green Party ballot access case. It will be Monday, July 18, at 8:30 a.m. in Raleigh. The two-page scheduling order includes some language that suggests the judge considers ballot access for minor parties to be an essential element of voting rights. See it here.
The right to vote and be voted for are connected.
So this is just a meeting to determine when the trial will be held, not the actual trial. But any movement is good. Let’s see what happens on Monday.
It’s very very unfortunate that going to court is often a de facto part of gaining ballot access for third party and independent candidates.