The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove his name from the presidential election ballot in key swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan. Kennedy, who ended his independent campaign and endorsed Republican Donald Trump, argued that staying on the ballots infringed on his First Amendment rights. However, officials in both states stated that it was too late to remove his name as early voting had already begun, just days before the November 5 election. The justices did not provide a reason for their decision, but Justice Neil Gorsuch dissented in the Michigan case.
The presence of independent and third-party candidates on swing state ballots has the potential to impact the closely contested presidential race. Kennedy had previously attempted to stay on the New York ballot, although it was unlikely to affect the outcome between Trump and Kamala Harris. Kennedy has been striving to withdraw his name in battleground states where he could potentially act as a “spoiler” candidate and benefit Harris. After suspending his campaign, he encouraged supporters in non-battleground states, such as New York, to still vote for him in the belief that he could potentially win in a contingent election.
Kennedy’s efforts to remove his name from the ballots faced challenges in both Michigan and Wisconsin. In Michigan, he initially won in an appeals court, but judges ruled that he missed the withdrawal deadline as the Natural Law Party’s candidate. In Wisconsin, it was determined that once qualified candidates file nomination papers, their names must remain on the ballot unless they die. Officials also found a proposed workaround of covering Kennedy’s name with stickers to be unfeasible. New York officials had previously removed his name due to an allegedly invalid address listed on his application. Despite appeals in several lower courts and an emergency appeal to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Kennedy’s name was ultimately not included on New York’s ballot.
Kennedy has been working towards withdrawing from the ballots in seven swing states, with Wisconsin and Michigan being the final states where his name remains. The Supreme Court’s denial of his emergency appeal effectively ended any hopes of his name being on the New York ballot. Kennedy has been actively involved in supporting Trump’s campaign since endorsing him, and the presence of his name on swing state ballots could have potentially influenced the election outcome. Despite facing legal challenges and setbacks, Kennedy remains focused on his goal of withdrawing from states where he could potentially impact the race.
