Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won two appeals on Friday in his effort to have his name removed from state ballots, causing a delay in the distribution of absentee ballots for the 2024 elections.
In North Carolina, an appeals court ruled that Kennedy should be removed from the ballot, which means counties will need to reprint ballots that were set to be mailed starting Friday. While it’s uncertain if this ruling, which overturns a lower court’s decision from Thursday, will be challenged further, it will temporarily delay the mailing of absentee ballots, NBC News reported.
In Michigan, an appeals court also ruled to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the ballot, countering Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s argument that it was too late to make the change. Benson, who plans to appeal the decision immediately, is concerned about the timing as military and overseas ballots need to be distributed soon.
Kennedy, who had fought to secure ballot access as a third-party presidential candidate, sought to withdraw his name from the ballot after endorsing former President Donald Trump. Polling suggested that his presence could negatively impact the Republican nominee, which is why state Democrats have been fighting to keep Kennedy’s name on ballots even though he’s ended his presidential campaign.
Following the North Carolina appeals court ruling, the State Board of Elections instructed officials via email late Friday morning to halt the mailing of ballots, NBC reported.
“Obviously, this will be a major undertaking for everyone. Our attorneys are reviewing the order and determining how to move forward. No decision has been made on whether this ruling will be appealed,” Paul Cox, general counsel for the state election authority, said, according to the outlet.
During an interview on Fox News Channel’s “The Story” last week, RFK Jr. claimed that the Democratic National Committee’s lawsuit to keep him on the ballot stems from their lack of faith in higher-tier nominees including Vice President Kamala Harris, calling their actions “fundamentally undemocratic.”
“We’re trying to get off the ballot in all the states where I might be a spoiler and cause harm to President Trump. The irony right now is that the DNC which has been trying to keep me off the ballot, is now suing to keep me on the ballot,” he told anchor Martha MacCallum.
“I think the DNC is doing something that is essentially and fundamentally undemocratic. I grew up in a Democratic Party, which was the party of Robert Kennedy and John Kennedy; I was trying to make sure every American had the right to vote for whoever they wanted to vote for,” RFK Jr. continued.
“There’s been a million Americans who have signed petitions asking to put me on the ballot. We have complied with every signature requirement, and the Democratic Party doesn’t seem to have the kind of confidence in its nominees to actually go out and amplify their voices. Instead, it’s using law fair to keep opposing candidates like me and Jill Stein and the other candidates off the ballot,” he said.
Meanwhile, a former staffer for Kennedy Jr. has launched a pro-Trump PAC to “Make America Healthy Again.”
“Three great causes drove me to enter this race in the first place,” RKF Jr. said last month when he endorsed Trump. “And these are the principle causes that persuaded me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent, and now to throw my support to President Trump.”
“President Trump has shown that he can stand up to the corporate interests that have poisoned our environment and compromised our health,” he said at a rally with the former president in Arizona. “He is the leader we need to take on the establishment and put America back on the path to health and freedom.”
“Trump is the only candidate who can break the stranglehold that corporate elites have on our government,” he said. “Together, we can restore the health and freedom of the American people.”
