North Carolina Democrats' Green Party problem

The state got a new political party this week when the state board of elections voted to certify the Green Party. The party that nominated Jill Stein in 2016 and Ralph Nader in 2000 joins Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians on the ballot. In 2016, North Carolina was one of only three states that did not allow Stein on ballot because the Green Party was not officially a party.

The GOP passed election reform laws that allowed easier access to the ballot. Now, any party that gets on the ballot in 35 states during a presidential election is automatically eligible. Parties can also get on the ballot with about 12,000 signatures. In the past, parties needed to get signatures from about 90,000 registered voters to get on the ballot and needed to receive at least 2% of the vote to stay on the ballot in subsequent elections.

The Libertarian Party is the only other party that’s been able to stay on the ballot in North Carolina. They don’t seem to pull from either party directly. They’re against regulation and taxes which appeals to Republicans but they’re also pro-choice, pro-LGBT rights, and pro-marijuana legalization. If they pull from the GOP, they would pulling from the middle where the most pragmatic Republicans live.

In the long term, these changes could transform elections in North Carolina. The two dominant parties are struggling to hold their coalitions together. Democrats’ left flank is perpetually dissatisfied with centrist candidates who can win statewide, accusing them of being Republican-lite. Republicans’ right flank call their centrists RINOs, for Republican in Name Only. The fastest growing segment of registered voters is unaffiliated.

Read more: https://www.politicsnc.com/nc-democrats-green-party-problem/