By Joseph Weber | The Washington Times | May 18, 2010 (Original Context)
A labor-backed effort in North Carolina to challenge House Democrats in the midterm elections appears to have failed because organizers of a proposed third party have not submitted enough petition signatures by the Monday deadline.
Gary O. Bartlett, executive director for the state board of elections, said Monday afternoon that none of the agency’s precincts had received petitions from the upstart party but that officials had a 5 p.m. deadline and a final count cannot be made until Tuesday morning.
The party had to submit roughly 85,000 signatures to local election officials by May 17, then have the certified petitions to the state by June 1.
