The North Carolina State Board of Elections told a district court judge candidate this week she will be unable to serve as the Democratic nominee if she were to win the ongoing primary election for Seat 15B.
After the discovery that candidate Erika Bales had improperly filed in the Democratic primary race for the seat in Orange and Chatham counties last Friday, there was uncertainty what the future of her candidacy may be. Bales is registered as an unaffiliated voter, which the Orange County and state boards of elections failed to check before certifying her as a Democratic candidate. Candidates must be affiliated with a party for 90 days before running in its primary election.
With the Orange County Board of Elections saying Bales is ineligible for the Democratic party’s nomination earlier in the week, the state board confirmed it to Chapelboro on Thursday. A representative said the board officer informed Bales on Wednesday about her ineligibility for the primary race due to her registration as unaffiliated. The board also confirmed Bales’ name must remain on the Democratic primary ballot because early voting had already begun when the discrepancy was discovered.
Bales, however, does still have an option to earn her way to Seat 15B. Unaffiliated candidates can petition to be added to the ballot for a general election as long as enough signatures are gathered.
“We have advised her that she may petition as an unaffiliated candidate because elections officials should not have certified her candidacy,” said the North Carolina State Board of Elections in a statement.
For Bales to be added to a general election ballot against the Democratic primary election winner, she will have to get signatures representing 2 percent of registered voters in Orange County and 2 percent of registered voters in Chatham County. Petitions for unaffiliated candidates to be on the general election ballot are due at noon on the day of primary elections.
In an email to Chapelboro, Bales confirmed the state Board of Elections contacted her about her candidacy. She indicated she plans to continue her candidacy and said she “intends to follow the law.” Bales said because she initially took her filing forms to the Orange County Board of Elections to have her voter registration status checked, she is upset how circumstances have unfolded.
“It’s a really disingenuous position in light of the circumstances,” Bales said in the email. “The Director of my local Board of Elections, where I often vote, should be more reliable than some online portal [to check my registration status.]”
Election Day for the primary elections in North Carolina is Tuesday, March 3.
