In a significant ruling [1] on Monday, the North Carolina Supreme Court ordered [2] the State Board of Elections to reprint presidential ballots, removing the name of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following his recent suspension of his independent campaign and endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
The decision marks a win for both Kennedy and Trump, as Kennedy’s withdrawal is seen as a move to bolster Trump’s chances in key battleground states.
The court’s 4-3 decision focused on protecting voters’ rights, with the majority stating that keeping Kennedy’s name on the ballot after he suspended his campaign “could disenfranchise countless voters who mistakenly believe that plaintiff remains a candidate for office.”
The court underscored that the election process must ensure that voters are presented with accurate information about candidates.
“To protect this important right, the elections process should ensure that voters are presented with accurate information regarding the candidates running for an elected office,” the court wrote.
The ruling also noted that printing ballots with Kennedy’s name would interfere with voters’ ability to cast a meaningful vote.
Kennedy, who had been running as an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential race, suspended his campaign in critical swing states over two weeks ago.
After his decision, he threw his support behind Trump, urging his supporters to vote for the former president. Initially, Kennedy had encouraged votes in states where Trump was not expected to perform strongly, but he has since called on his backers to support Trump nationwide.
Bottom line: No matter what state you live in, VOTE TRUMP. A Trump victory is a Kennedy victory. pic.twitter.com/GBn2p2RLnX [3]
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) September 10, 2024 [4]
The Monday ruling upheld an earlier appeals court decision that had halted the distribution of ballots with Kennedy’s name, despite objections from the state elections board.
The board, which has a Democratic majority, had argued that reprinting the ballots would be costly and logistically challenging.
However, the court dismissed this argument, stating that the board was aware of Kennedy’s intent to withdraw but delayed its decision, causing the need for reprinting.
“We decline to grant defendants extraordinary relief when they are responsible for their own predicament,” the court stated, adding that the North Carolina Constitution requires the state to ensure that voters’ rights are fully protected, even if that involves additional expenses and efforts to reprint ballots.
Kennedy’s attorney, Aaron Siri, praised the ruling, saying it ensured that no North Carolinian would mistakenly vote for a candidate no longer running. “Mr. Kennedy suspended his campaign weeks ago,” Siri wrote in an emailed statement. “The decision today by the North Carolina Supreme Court to remove Mr. Kennedy’s name from the ballot will assure that nobody in North Carolina votes for a candidate who is no longer running in their state.”
While the decision is a boost for Trump in North Carolina, the legal battle is far from over in other states. Just hours before the North Carolina ruling, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected a similar request from Kennedy, allowing his name to remain on the ballot there.
Despite the setback in Michigan, recent polls suggest Trump is leading Kamala Harris in the state.
The North Carolina Supreme Court’s ruling not only influences the upcoming election but also highlights the broader legal and logistical challenges of managing candidate withdrawals in the lead-up to voting.
The state board had requested an expedited ruling to avoid further delays and costs, and while it must now proceed with reprinting, the decision reinforces the principle of voter clarity in the election process.
As the presidential race heats up, the impact of Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump remains to be seen, but the removal of his name from the North Carolina ballot is expected to consolidate support for Trump in the key battleground state.
Original article below:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., once an independent candidate for president, has suspended his third-party bid for the White House and thrown his support behind former President Donald Trump.
This move, which sent shockwaves through the political landscape, was seen as a major victory for Trump, particularly in key battleground states where Kennedy’s presence on the ballot could have influenced the final outcome.
On Friday, courts in North Carolina and Michigan issued [5] emergency orders that removed Kennedy’s name from ballots in both states, handing Trump’s campaign a significant boost.
🚨 #BREAKING [6]: Courts in both Michigan AND North Carolina have ORDERED RFK Jr’s name to be removed from the ballot
This is a HUGE win! 🔥
Democrats were hellbent on keeping RFK Jr.’s name on the ballot in these critical swing states to pull votes from Trump, but they FAILED.… pic.twitter.com/cP3VdcLJ2l [7]
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 6, 2024 [8]
Although Kennedy’s campaign was never expected to win the presidency, polls indicated that his support could have reached single digits—enough to sway critical swing states like Michigan and North Carolina.
Depending on how votes were divided, Kennedy could have impacted the race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, particularly in these battlegrounds.
Political strategists aligned with Harris had hoped to keep Kennedy on the ballot, calculating that his presence could potentially draw more support away from Trump than from Harris.
However, with the court rulings in North Carolina and Michigan, that scenario appears to be slipping away.
The urgency in North Carolina came as the state’s first absentee ballots were set to be mailed out to voters.
The North Carolina court ruled that Kennedy’s name must be removed from the ballot, and the State Board of Elections was ordered to print and ship updated ballots without Kennedy listed as a candidate.
Although Harris’s supporters could still appeal the decision to the North Carolina Supreme Court, the immediate impact on absentee voters is clear.
In Michigan, while absentee ballots had not yet been distributed, the court ruling to remove Kennedy’s name is still considered a significant development.
It remains to be seen whether Democrats will appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court, but the ruling sets the stage for a more straightforward two-party contest in the state.
These rulings followed Kennedy’s decision to formally endorse Trump.
In an email to his supporters on Thursday, Kennedy wrote, “No matter what state you live in, I urge you to vote for Donald Trump. The reason is that this is the only way we can get me and everything I stand for into Washington D.C. and fulfill the mission that motivated my campaign.” Kennedy had previously indicated that he would remain on the ballot in uncompetitive states, but he has now urged [9] his base to support Trump across the board.
Kennedy’s campaign initially announced plans to remove his name from the ballot in 10 swing states, but his withdrawal has expanded beyond those key regions.
According to reports, Kennedy has now taken his name off the ballot in several traditionally red states, including South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, further solidifying his backing for Trump.
These developments mark a significant shift in the 2024 presidential race.
While Kennedy’s campaign never posed a direct threat to either major-party candidate, his potential to draw votes from Trump or Harris made his candidacy a wild card in certain battlegrounds.
With Kennedy out of the race and rallying his supporters behind Trump, the dynamics of the race, particularly in key states like North Carolina and Michigan, have shifted in favor of the former president.