RALEIGH, N.C. — Voters in North Carolina are suing House Speaker Tim Moore and President Pro Tem Phillip Berger claiming the rights of unaffiliated voters are being violated.
Common Cause, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., filed the lawsuit against the state Republican leaders. The organization has local groups in 35 states, including North Carolina.
The lawsuit includes a plaintiff from Mecklenburg County. They argue unaffiliated voters who want to serve on the state board of elections can’t because under state law, people have to be a registered Republican or Democrat.
“The individual plaintiffs are voters who are qualified and desire to serve on the State Board and are barred from serving on the Board because of their status as unaffiliated voters, in violation of their constitutional rights to free speech, freedom of association and equal protection,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit wants a judge to declare that law unconstitutional.
“It is crucial to the American system of government that the public have confidence in the fairness and nonpartisan administration of election,” the lawsuit said.
Currently, unaffiliated voters are the largest set of registered voters in North Carolina. According to the lawsuit, the state has more than 2.5 million unaffiliated voters as of July 30, 2022.
Channel 9 has reached out to Moore and Berger’s offices for comment on the lawsuit but we have not heard back at this point.
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