Judge Denies Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Request to be Removed from Ballot in North Carolina
By Elyse Apel (The Center Square)
A recent decision by Wake County Superior Court Judge Rebecca Waters Holt has denied Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s request to be removed from the ballot in North Carolina. Despite this ruling, Kennedy has been granted a 24-hour stay on ballot delivery, allowing his legal team time to appeal the decision to the state’s Court of Appeals.
Following the judge’s decision, the North Carolina State Board of Elections instructed counties to temporarily pause ballot distributions, which were originally scheduled to commence on Friday. This decision has caused a delay in the distribution process, with the State Board of Elections advising counties to hold off on sending out ballots until further notice.
Members of the board had previously voted against Kennedy’s request to be removed from the ballot on Aug. 29, citing the impracticality of doing so given that approximately 2 million ballots statewide had already been printed with Kennedy’s name on them. This decision led to Kennedy filing a lawsuit against the board, marking the fifth lawsuit filed against the board within a span of 40 days.
In his lawsuit, Kennedy argued that not removing him from the ballot infringed upon his freedom of speech. He had announced his withdrawal from the presidential campaign on Aug. 23, following which the board voted on his removal on Aug. 29. Holt’s ruling favored the majority of the board, stating that removing Kennedy from the ballot would incur considerable cost and effort for North Carolina.
Kennedy had initially gained access to the ballot on July 16 as a candidate affiliated with the We The People Party. However, he decided to withdraw his name from the ballot after suspending his campaign on Aug. 23, blaming “shadowy DNC operatives” for obstructing his campaign’s access to the ballot and announcing his endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
While Kennedy’s name has been removed from the ballots in four out of seven consensus battleground states, he remains on the ballot in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Both the board and the court are expected to provide additional details and information about the decision and its implications in the coming days.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
