- The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 29, 2024

The Supreme Court declined Tuesday to order Michigan and Wisconsin election officials to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name from their ballots with just days left until Election Day. 

Without comment, the justices rejected Mr. Kennedy’s emergency request. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch noted that he dissented with respect to Michigan. 

Election officials from Michigan and Wisconsin had told the justices it is too late to remove the former independent candidate’s name and that doing so would disenfranchise voters.

In the Wisconsin dispute, state officials said the ballots are already printed, and it would be impossible to “apply millions of stickers to Wisconsin ballots in order to cover his name.”

Mr. Kennedy had argued that Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson violated his constitutional rights by putting his name back on the ballot after he petitioned to withdraw from the presidential race on Aug. 23. The statutory deadline was Sept. 6.

Mr. Kennedy’s lawyers, meanwhile, said Wisconsin allows major party candidates a month to get on or off a ballot that is not afforded to independent and third-party candidates.

The justices, though, declined to get involved. 

When Mr. Kennedy suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump, he said he would try to get off the ballots in battleground states so as not to hurt Mr. Trump’s chances of winning the White House.

He was successful in getting off the ballot in most swing states.

• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.

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