The No Labels Party has moved one step closer to fielding a presidential candidate in North Carolina.
On Sunday, the State Board of Elections voted to officially recognize the No Labels Party, granting it the same legal status as the Democratic, Green, Libertarian and Republican parties in North Carolina.
The vote was taken Sunday at the board’s Summer 2023 Elections Conference, which was held in Concord.
Why it matters: Leaders of the No Labels Party, who include former Charlotte Mayor and former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, have said they intend to select a 2024 presidential candidate to challenge the nation’s two dominant parties, a move that could make what is expected to be a tight presidential race even more unpredictable. (McCrory was a registered Republican when he served as mayor and governor.)
In its petition to the elections board, the No Labels Party submitted 14,837 valid signatures from registered voters in North Carolina – 932 more than the 13,865 required by state law, the State Board announced Sunday. No Labels also submitted at least 200 signatures from three different congressional districts, another requirement under North Carolina law.
How to join the No Labels Party
Registered voters in the state may switch their affiliation to No Labels if they wish. For information on how to do that, visit the State Board of Elections website.
The board is updating voter registration forms to include the No Labels Party. Until then, voters may register with No Labels by checking the “Other” box and writing “No Labels” on the line in the “Political Party Affiliation” section of the voter registration application. The board also is working to update registration options available through the Division of Motor Vehicles’ online registration portal.
Another change that impacts voters
The State Board also voted to revise the Photo ID Exception Form by removing the reason, “I did not know photo ID was required for voting.”
Beginning with municipal primaries this year, North Carolina voters are required to show a form of photo identification approved by the state.
Voters without photo identification may still cast a ballot but are required to fill out the Photo ID Exception Form.
Exceptions permitted by law include, among other things, that something prevents a voter from showing a photo ID when they vote, such as lack of transportation, disability or illness, work schedule, family responsibilities, lack of documents to obtain a photo ID, the photo ID was lost or stolen, or the photo ID has not yet been received. Voters unable to present a photo ID may also explain their reason in an “Other” option on the form.
The State Board’s decision to remove “I did not know photo ID was required for voting” as a valid exception came after Republican lawmakers in Raleigh opposed the exception and threatened to rewrite the state voter ID law.
For more information on the photo ID requirement and a list of acceptable photo IDs, visit the Voter ID page on the election board’s website.
