On September 10, the independent candidates who are challenging the North Carolina ballot access laws for independent candidates filed a brief in support of injunctive relief. The plaintiffs are Greg Buscemi, who is an independent candidate for U.S. House, and Kyle Kopitke, an independent candidate for president.

North Carolina drastically improved its ballot access laws for new and previously unqualified parties in 2017, but the independent candidate requirements are still very severe. The petitions are due in March of election years, and the number of signatures for a statewide independent is approximately six times the number required for new party petitions.

The lawsuit is Buscemi and Kopitke v Bell, e.d., 7:19cv-164. Here is the brief. The lawsuit also attacks the state law that requires write-in candidates to file a petition in order to have their write-ins counted.