CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina voters can expect to see a new political party on their ballots next year as state election officials voted to officially recognize the No Labels party.
The new party is promising to recruit a candidate for the White House if both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump secure their respective parties' nominations. Former Gov. Pat McCrory is a co-chair of No Labels party, which is asking American voters to look past the status quo on Election Day. The idea of a third-party candidate is nothing new, with independents Ross Perot and Ralph Nader playing big roles in previous presidential elections. Libertarian Gary Johnson also pulled a significant number of voters swing states during the 2016 campaign.
McCrory previously told WCNC Charlotte's Flashpoint that over half of American voters don't want to select from the current crop of presidential frontrunners that includes Biden, Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"Sixty percent of people in America do not like or do not want to select from the current frontrunners of the Democratic or Republican Party," McCrory said. "I hope between now and then, however, the two parties will align more with what the American people want."
With recognition by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the No Labels party can now place candidates on statewide ballots and voters across the Tar Heel State can register with the party. North Carolina currently recognizes the following political parties for voter registration: Democrat, Green, Libertarian, No Labels and Republican.
The most recent data from the State Board of Elections shows over 7.3 million people are registered to vote in North Carolina with 2.4 million Democrats and 2.2 million Republicans. The largest group is unaffiliated voters, which has 2.6 million registered voters in North Carolina.
Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.