The following is a press release from the LPNC. It seems that the way our system is set up, because the power in all branches of government is so dominated by the major two parties, there may be little chance for unreasonable and unjustified restrictions to be repealed or lowered, allowing legitimate hard-working parties access to our taxpayer-funded democratic system.
JUDGE UPHOLDS BALLOT ACCESS RESTRICTIONS
RALEIGH — A Superior Court judge ruled May 27 that “there is no
fundamental right for a voter to vote for the party of their choice” and
threw out the state Libertarian Party’s challenge to North Carolina’s
elections laws.
Judge Robert Hobgood ruled in the lawsuit filed by the Libertarian and
Green parties challenging the legality of the State’s elections laws
under the North Carolina Constitution.
“We’re deeply saddened by this ruling,” said Barbara Howe, LPNC chair.
“Not only did the judge support the State’s power to take away our right
to choose who represents us, he also upheld the State’s assertion that
North Carolina voters are not smart enough to fill out a so-called long
ballot.”
“This is a very sad day for representative government,” she said.
The judge agreed with the State’s argument that the number of elected
offices that may appear on the ballot in Presidential election years,
along with the use of optical scanning equipment, can cause “voter
confusion.”
“The more parties there are that are recognized by the State and that
place candidates on the ballot, the greater the chance there is for
ballots that are so long as to be unwieldy and to risk voter confusion
and frustration of the electoral process,” Judge Hobgood wrote.
“In effect, the State says North Carolina voters are not as smart as
Iraqis, who had more than 100 parties to choose from in their
elections,” Howe said .
The party now has to decide whether it can afford to appeal this
decision. “We are out of money, having spent nearly $140,000 already to
get back on the ballot,” she said.
“Whether we appeal or not, the Libertarian Party is not going away. We
will continue to fight for our rights and the rights of all North
Carolinians,” Howe concluded.
