Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s attempt to remove his name from Wisconsin’s presidential ballot was denied, compelling his continued presence in the upcoming election according to The New York Post.
On August 6, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed to run as an independent candidate for the presidential election in Wisconsin, marking the deadline for such submissions.
His campaign, however, took an unexpected turn when he suspended his presidential ambitions and endorsed former President Donald Trump on August 25.
This endorsement came just weeks after his initial filing, stirring a complex legal battle over his ballot status.
Following his suspension, Kennedy sought to have his name removed from the ballot. His request, however, was met with resistance from the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Citing state law, the commission denied his request on August 29, prompting Kennedy to challenge the decision in court.
Dane County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Ehlke was tasked with a decision on this matter. Amid urgent timelines for ballot printing and distribution, Judge Ehlke decided to expedite his ruling, moving it up from the scheduled Tuesday to the previous Monday.
His ruling was clear: Kennedy’s name would remain on the ballot. He noted, “The statute is plain on its face. Mr. Kennedy has no one to blame but himself if he didn’t want to be on the ballot.”
The decision to keep Kennedy’s name on the ballot was not without its logistical challenges. Over 600,000 ballots had already been printed by the time the lawsuit was filed, as reported by Michelle Hawley, Milwaukee County Elections Director.
The prospect of reprinting these ballots was daunting, both logistically and financially. Hawley detailed that not only would it cost approximately $80,000, but sourcing the specialized ballot paper quickly enough to meet statutory deadlines posed a significant hurdle. She explained, “It would take a couple of days to source the paper, and we would never meet our statutory deadlines.”
Further complicating the issue was the fact that digital ballots had already been dispatched to overseas and military voters, making any changes to these ballots practically unfeasible.
Eau Claire County Clerk Sue McDonald emphasized the magnitude of the logistical challenge, noting that most Wisconsin clerks had already gone to print, with some municipalities already distributing ballots to prepare for absentee voting.
One alternative that was floated to address Kennedy’s unwanted presence on the ballot was to cover his name with stickers.
However, this proposition was quickly dismissed due to technical concerns. Hawley argued that covering Kennedy's name with a sticker could result in ballot machines malfunctioning, potentially rejecting the modified ballots. This technical risk made the sticker solution unviable, consolidating the decision to proceed with the existing ballots.
Amidst these events, a recent Marquette Law School poll had shown Kennedy winning 6% of the Wisconsin vote, indicating some level of support despite his campaign’s suspension. This support base now faces a conundrum with his name still on the ballot.
As the ballots roll out and the election day approaches, both election officials and Kennedy’s former campaign team will need to navigate this unexpected scenario. For Wisconsin voters, the presence of Kennedy’s name on the ballot might cause some confusion, given his public endorsement of another candidate.
Election officials are now tasked with ensuring that voters are well-informed about the situation, mitigating potential misunderstandings.