Supreme Court Rejects Kennedy’s Attempt to Remove Name From Ballots in Key States
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an emergency appeal from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seeking to remove his name from the presidential ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan, The Associated Press reports.
Kennedy, who had initially launched an independent bid but later dropped out to endorse Republican Donald Trump, argued that remaining on the ballot violated his First Amendment rights.
Kennedy claimed that his presence on the ballot wrongly implied he still aspired to be elected president, despite his endorsement of Trump. He has been actively trying to remove his name from ballots in key swing states since endorsing Trump, and Wisconsin and Michigan were the last two where his name was expected to appear.
Both states argued that removing Kennedy’s name at this late stage, with early voting underway, would be impossible due to the logistical challenges involved. In Michigan, over 1.5 million absentee ballots have been returned, and another 264,000 have already voted early. In Wisconsin, over 858,000 absentee ballots have been returned.
The Supreme Court did not provide a detailed explanation for its decision, as is customary for such emergency appeals. However, Justice Neil Gorsuch publicly dissented in the Michigan case. He cited lower court rulings that suggested the timing of Kennedy’s initial request to be removed was not unreasonably late.
Kennedy’s presence on the ballot in swing states has been a topic of discussion, as some believe it could potentially impact the close presidential race. The Supreme Court previously rejected Kennedy’s attempt to stay on the ballot in New York, where his presence is unlikely to influence the outcome of the election.
