The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled on Friday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name will remain on the state’s presidential ballot, according to reporting from WTMJ.
The ruling upholds a lower court’s decision that candidates can only be removed from the ballot if they pass away. This development marks a significant moment in Kennedy’s ongoing efforts to get his name removed from ballots in crucial battleground states like Wisconsin, where the presidential race between Republican Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris remains close.
Kennedy, who suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Trump, had filed a lawsuit on Sept. 3 seeking removal from the Wisconsin ballot.
He argued that independent candidates are treated unfairly compared to Republican and Democratic candidates. However, as WTMJ reported, Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke ruled that Wisconsin law mandates that once a candidate files valid nomination papers, they remain on the ballot unless they die.
The court’s decision is especially impactful given that over 418,000 absentee ballots have already been sent out, with nearly 28,000 returned.
Kennedy’s attorneys proposed that clerks could cover his name with stickers, but the judge rejected this idea, citing logistical challenges and concerns about ballot-counting machines. The ruling could play a crucial role in Wisconsin, a state known for tight election results in recent years.
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