Washington — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent months battling for ballot access in every state, denying that he would be a spoiler candidate.
Kennedy said his name would remain on the ballot in many noncompetitive states.
But in the seven battleground states and three others that he considers competitive, he would request to have his name removed from the ballot.
Here’s where his efforts to get off the ballot in those 10 states stand.
Kennedy had accepted the Reform Party’s nomination as he fought for ballot access.
He gained ballot access through the Natural Law Party, a minor party that has ballot access.
The Nevada Secretary of State confirmed Tuesday that it had received a court order to remove Kennedy from the ballot, ending a lengthy legal battle over his ballot access.
Democrats also sued to boot him from the ballot, arguing that Kennedy’s affiliation with different political parties in other states violates Nevada’s ballot access laws for independent candidates.
Wisconsin The Wisconsin Elections Commission certified that Kennedy would appear on the ballot on Tuesday, rejecting his request to withdraw.
According to Wisconsin law, “any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination.
Robert F. Washington. Kennedy Sr. denied he would be a spoiler candidate and spent months fighting for ballot access in every state.
The former Democratic presidential candidate Kennedy is now concerned that his name appearing on ten state ballots would hurt former President Donald Trump’s chances of defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. Kennedy is now an independent.
Kennedy ended his campaign on Friday and gave Trump his support. Kennedy said he would continue to be listed on the ballot in states without competitive elections. He would, however, ask to have his name struck from the ballot in the seven battleground states and the three more that he deems competitive.
The Democratic Party, with whom he disagrees on the most fundamental issues, would probably win the election if he continued to run for office in the battleground states, according to our polling, he claimed.
Kennedy’s request has been approved by a few states. Some claim he needs to stay. This is the status of his attempts to remove himself from the ballot in those ten states.
Ariz.
A day before he suspended his campaign, Kennedy filed the paperwork to remove his name from the Arizona ballot that was supposed to appear on it.
An official for Arizona’s secretary of state told CBS News, “He won’t appear on any ballot.”.
Sunshine State.
According to the Florida Department of State website, Kennedy’s request to withdraw his candidacy was approved by Florida.
Kennedy was fighting for ballot access, and he had accepted the nomination of the Reform Party. Minor parties had until Saturday to officially certify candidates’ names with the state—the day after Kennedy halted his campaign.
Georgian.
Kennedy’s residency in New York was questioned in a recent court decision that declared him “not qualified” to be on the Georgia ballot. A spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office told CBS News that they were analyzing the decision and would “have a decision as soon as possible.”.
Ohio.
Kennedy will continue to be available for voting in Michigan. He “cannot withdraw at this point,” an official from the secretary of state’s office informed CBS News, meaning his name would remain on the ballot. “. .
Through the ballot access minor party Natural Law Party, he was able to obtain ballot access. By doing this, he was able to get around the requirement for independent candidates without party support—gathering thousands of signatures.
Nevada.
Despite not attending the August election, Kennedy was taken off the Nevada ballot. 20th deadline for removing his name.
Kennedy’s ballot access lawsuit came to an end on Tuesday when the Nevada Secretary of State confirmed that it had obtained a court order to take him off the ballot.
He didn’t have a running mate when signatures were gathered, which is necessary according to state law in order to be eligible for ballot access, so his first petition was deemed invalid. Democrats also filed a lawsuit to remove Kennedy from the ballot, claiming that Nevada’s laws governing independent candidates’ access to the ballot are broken by his connections to political parties in other states. Tuesday saw the lawsuit dismissed.
North Carolina.
Since the first absentee ballots are sent out on September, Kennedy, who is also on the ballot in North Carolina, may not have time to withdraw. 6. . Public information director Patrick Gannon of the North Carolina State Board of Elections reports that over half of the state’s 100 counties have already printed ballots.
The We The People Party, which put Kennedy forward, “has not informed the State Board of any plans to change its nomination,” Gannon said to CBS News. “. .
Gannon stated, “If We The People formally withdraws his nomination, the State Board would have to decide whether it is feasible to have his name removed from ballots and reprint ballots at that point.”.
Ohio.
On the same day that Ohio declared Kennedy eligible to run for office, Kennedy requested to be removed from the ballot. Kennedy would be removed, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose confirmed. September is the cutoff date for LaRose to certify the ballot that will be cast in November. 6.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Kennedy’s request to withdraw his candidacies was granted by a judge on Friday. Prior to that, Democratic activists in the state had challenged Kennedy’s petition legally, arguing that it was invalid.
Texas.
Kennedy, according to the secretary of state’s website, removed his name from the Texas ballot the same day he halted his campaign.
In Wisconsin.
Kennedy attempted to withdraw, but the Wisconsin Elections Commission denied his request and certified that he would be on the ballot on Tuesday.
Wisconsin law states that “anyone who files nomination papers and is eligible to be listed on the ballot may not object to nomination. Except in the event of their death, that person’s name will appear on the ballot. “. .
Reporting assistance was provided by Libby Cathey.
helped to write this report.
