The chairman of the state Democratic Party said he will include all "generally recognized" candidates on the May ballot.
Under a recent change in state law, party chairman Jerry Meek will decide which candidates to include on the Democratic presidential primary ballot.
"As long as a candidate is publicly recognized, they'll be listed," he told Dome.
Meek pointed out that the criteria for inclusion is that the candidates are "generally advocated and recognized in the news media," so a candidate left out by either party could presumably sue for access in Wake County Superior Court.
In a sense, then, Dome and our colleagues would determine in part who is eligible.
Meek said he drafted the change in the law, which was then rewritten by staff attorneys and legislators. He said he's already received letters from the campaigns of (now former) Chris Dodd and John Edwards, among others, asking to be included on the ballot.
