Shiva Ayyadurai, an independent presidential candidate who was removed from New Jersey’s ballot because he isn’t a “natural-born citizen” of the United States, is now asking the New Jersey Supreme Court to overturn two prior rulings against him and place him back on the ballot.
Ayyadurai, a graduate of Livingston High School, was born in India to Indian parents, thus disqualifying him from the presidency under the U.S. Constitution. Nevertheless, Ayyadurai filed to run for president in New Jersey on the “Dr. Shiva” independent ballot slogan, prompting a challenge from the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.
After a brief hearing, an administrative law judge issued an opinion that Ayyadurai was ineligible for the presidency, and Secretary of State Tahesha Way officially took Ayyadurai off the ballot. Ayyadurai filed a motion for an expedited appeal with the state Superior Court’s appellate division, but was rejected.
Now, Ayyadurai has gone even higher up the chain, insisting to the Supreme Court that the ruling removing him from the ballot was incorrect and prejudicial.
“Debasing my qualifications on being President, which at this time is putting the ‘cart before the horse,’ violates the NJ Civil Rights Act, the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” Ayyadurai wrote in his request for emergent relief. “I did NOT give allegiance to America, forgoing my Indian citizenship, to be treated as as a Second Class citizen. Independent of the vile and invidious discrimination of those parties’ defective rulings, a STAY must be issued to ensure the NJ Slate of Presidential Electors, under the slogan ‘Dr.SHIVA,’ are NOT removed from the ballot.”
Since the process of designing general election ballots is already well underway, any appeals process will have to move very quickly in order for Ayyadurai to have a chance at making it back on the ballot.