On Tuesday, June 24, the political party affiliations of about 34,000 North Carolina voters registered with four parties — Constitution, Justice for All, No Labels and We the People — will be moved to unaffiliated status in the state’s voter registration database.

When the 2024 general election was certified by the State Board, those four parties were no longer recognized as official parties in North Carolina because they failed to meet thresholds required by state law. Candidates for the parties failed to receive at least 2 percent of the total vote for governor or president last November.

Although the Green Party candidates for president and governor did not receive enough votes in 2024 for the party to keep its recognition in North Carolina, it was again recognized as a political party because the State Board determined at its meeting Thursday that the party had a presidential candidate on the general election ballot of at least 70 percent of the states in 2024. Voters may continue to register with the Green Party.

However, any other prospective parties that wish to obtain recognition under state law may submit petitions signed by N.C. registered voters totaling 0.25 percent of the total number of voters who voted in the contest for governor in the 2024 general election, including at least 200 signatures from three N.C. congressional districts.

“New voters and voters who update their registrations are no longer able to affiliate with the Constitution, Justice for All, No Labels or We the People parties,” Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections, is quoted as saying in a release. “These parties may be recognized again if they meet the requirements for a political party as specified in state law.”

Recognized parties in NC

Today, the four recognized political parties in North Carolina are the Democratic Party, the Green Party, the Libertarian Party and the Republican Party. Voters also may register as unaffiliated.

In a North Carolina partisan primary election, voters affiliated with a political party may only vote their party’s ballot and may not vote in another party’s primary. For example, a registered Republican may only vote in the Republican Party primary. This remains true even if the party you are affiliated with does not have a primary.

Unaffiliated voters may choose any one political party’s ballot or a nonpartisan ballot in a primary election.

In a general election, voters may vote for the candidates of their choice, regardless of party.