N.C. Court of Appeals issues order temporarily suspending filing for congressional, legislative offices

Published 12:21 pm Monday, December 6, 2021

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Though the filing period for political office began at noon Monday, due to an order issued by the North Carolina Court of Appeals, county boards of election will not be able to file candidates for congressional seats nor State House and State Senate until further notice.

“This is a temporary stay to permit the parties to submit their arguments to the Court of Appeals,” according to an email from Paul Cox, associate general counsel with North Carolina State Board of Elections. “The court then will make a decision whether to continue the suspension or lift it.”

The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed claiming the newly drawn political districts, to be used in every election for the next decade, are unconstitutionally gerrymandered, according to published reports.

Incumbent Wayne Sasser was in line Monday waiting to file to run again for N.C. District 67 when he got a news alert on his phone detailing the suspension. He was not sure what specifically caused the Court of Appeals to issue the temporary stay mere minutes before filing was supposed to begin.

“It just is what it is,” he said.

He was waiting in line outside the Board of Elections with six other people, including Sheriff Jeff Crisco and County Commissioner Lane Furr.

The filing period runs through noon Dec. 17.

Aside from the congressional and state offices, candidates in Stanly can file for County Commissioner At-Large and District 1, 2, 3 and 4, Sheriff, Board of Education At-Large and District 1 and Clerk of Court.

About Chris Miller

Chris Miller has been with the SNAP since January 2019. He is a graduate of NC State and received his Master's in Journalism from the University of Maryland. He previously wrote for the Capital News Service in Annapolis, where many of his stories on immigration and culture were published in national papers via the AP wire.

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