American Solidarity Party Presidential Ticket Falls Short of New Jersey Ballot Access Requirement Following Signature Challenge

The American Solidarity Party presidential ticket of Peter Sonski and Lauren Onak has failed to meet the required number of signatures to appear on the New Jersey ballot following a challenge to the campaign’s petitions by the Bergen County Young Republicans.

According to the New Jersey Globe on Tuesday, petitions from the Sonski campaign were found to be six short of the required number after a challenge by Tim Walsh, chair of the Bergen County Young Republicans. A court hearing that lasted two days revealed that 198 of Sonski’s signatures either didn’t match or were from voters who could not be identified in New Jersey’s Statewide Voter Registration System.

Following the filing deadline earlier this month, nine candidates had submitted signatures to appear on the general election ballot alongside Republican nominee Donald Trump and now-Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Information on the New Jersey Secretary of State’s website indicates that Sonski submitted 985 signatures as of August 1, implying the campaign had a greater number of signatures than initially stated, although this list was deemed unofficial at the time.

The Globe states that Secretary of State Tahesha Way will ultimately make the final decision, although the Sonski campaign can still choose to appeal the decision in court. In addition to Sonski, the New Jersey Secretary of State’s website states that the campaigns of independents Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Shiva Ayyadurai are also being contested for differing reasons.