Press Release
NC Supreme Court’s harmful decision to delay absentee voting for weeks does disservice to voters
RALEIGH – On Monday night, a divided NC Supreme Court sided with a demand by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove his name from the North Carolina ballot – after he earlier demanded to be on the ballot. The court’s ruling will delay the start of absentee voting for weeks.
Monday’s late decision comes after the legal deadline for county boards of elections to begin sending out absentee ballots to voters who request them. The ruling could cost state taxpayers $1 million to print new ballots.
The following is a statement from Bob Phillips, Executive Director of Common Cause North Carolina:
“The state Supreme Court’s order to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name from the North Carolina ballot is overtly partisan and does a disservice to the voters of North Carolina. The court’s decision will delay voting by mail in North Carolina by two weeks or more at a cost of nearly $1 million to taxpayers.
Kennedy’s bizarre behavior of demanding to get on and off the ballot has been well documented. The state’s highest court is simply bowing to what one political party believes will be advantageous to them, rather than making a decision that is best for all voters.
This ruling hurts voters. And it unduly burdens county election budgets, which are already struggling with limited resources because the state legislature refuses to provide sufficient funding for our elections.
While we strongly disagree with the court’s bad decision, we at Common Cause NC will continue to help all voters exercise their freedom to vote in this year’s crucial elections. We encourage voters in North Carolina with questions about delayed absentee ballots to call the nonpartisan NC Election Protection Hotline at 888-OUR-VOTE.”
Common Cause North Carolina is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.