Since independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly withdrew from the race on August 23, four out of seven swing states have agreed to remove his name from the ballots in the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November.
Swing states refer to states considered pivotal in determining the outcome of the presidential election, where the levels of support for both Democratic and Republican candidates are closely matched.
After suspending his campaign, Kennedy hoped to have his name removed from the ballots in swing states to help Republican candidate Trump win the election.
These seven swing states hold a total of 93 electoral votes. The four swing states that agreed to Kennedy’s withdrawal are Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, accounting for a total of 52 electoral votes. However, three states rejected his removal request.
On the same day Kennedy announced his support for Trump, a judge in Pennsylvania ordered his removal from the ballot in that state.
Public opinion polls indicate Kennedy’s average support in the state is 4%. Both Trump and Biden have had narrow leads in Pennsylvania, and excluding Kennedy could be crucial for the election outcome.
Absentee ballots for the state will begin to be mailed out 50 days before the election starting from September 16.
Just days after Kennedy’s withdrawal, a judge in Georgia ruled in a lawsuit that Kennedy cannot appear on the state’s ballots.
Democrats have questioned Kennedy’s ballot access, alleging he did not provide the correct address on candidate documents, even though he had the required number of signatures.
Absentee ballots for the state will be mailed out 25-29 days before the election.
Prior to announcing the suspension of his campaign, Kennedy had already submitted a file request to have his name removed from the ballot in Arizona.
This request has been approved.
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes posted on social media last week, stating, “Kennedy’s campaign team submitted formal paperwork to our office today to withdraw him from the 2024 election in Arizona.”
Since the absentee ballot deadline for Arizona is 24-27 days before the election, the issues caused by Kennedy’s withdrawal request are fewer compared to other states that have already printed the ballots.
Kennedy will also not appear on the ballot in Nevada, as he reached an agreement with the Nevada Democratic Party.
Although initially scheduled to be on the ballot, Democrats filed a lawsuit questioning this. On Tuesday, a judge officially signed an agreement to withdraw the case and remove Kennedy from the ballot.
This lawsuit may have been the only reason Kennedy could withdraw from the ballot, as the official deadline had passed.
Kennedy also successfully withdrew from running in Florida, Ohio, and Texas.
On Thursday (29th), the North Carolina Elections Board narrowly voted against Kennedy’s removal request.
Democratic members of the board voted in favor of Kennedy staying on the ballot, citing the impracticality of reprinting the ballots as a key factor in their decision.
This is significant as absentee voting in the state will start on September 6, just a week away.
Republicans argued that the regulations were flexible and should allow for Kennedy’s name to be removed. However, the supporting votes ultimately did not outweigh the opposing ones.
On Tuesday (27th), the Wisconsin Elections Board voted against Kennedy’s request to be removed from the ballot.
Board Chair Ann Jacobs cited a state law in Wisconsin that states unless a candidate dies, they cannot be removed from the ballot.
Absentee ballots in Wisconsin will be mailed out 47 days ahead of the November 5 election, starting from September 19.
The Michigan Secretary of State’s office rejected Kennedy’s request to have his name removed from the ballots, deeming it too late.
“A minor party candidate cannot withdraw, so his name will remain on the ballot for the November election,” a spokesperson from the office stated.
This means Kennedy will continue to be on the ballot in Michigan, where his average polling support has remained at 3%.
Absentee ballots in Michigan will be mailed out 45 days before the election, starting on September 21.