RFK Jr. sues North Carolina for refusing to remove his name from the ballot
The State Board of Elections said that, with nearly 2 million ballots printed in 67 of the 100 counties, removing the former independent candidate's name is unfeasible, especially considering that the vote-by-mail deadline opens in a few days.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaking in Phoenix, Arizona
Former independent candidate for next November's presidential election, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court against the State of North Carolina for refusing to remove his name from the ballot.
RFK Jr. suspended his election campaign a week ago and last Thursday petitioned North Carolina to remove his name from the ballot.
However, the State Board of Elections denied his request. It did so after holding a vote in which, with 3 votes against and 2 in favor, they denied the former candidate the possibility of withdrawing his candidacy, claiming that nearly 2 million ballots had already been printed in 67 of the 100 counties on which the name of the former candidate and his party, We The People, appeared. Changing those ballots, the election board explained, was not only very costly but also unfeasible since, shortly, the vote-by-mail option will be available.
"When we talk about printing a ballot, we are not talking about ... pressing copy on a Xerox machine. This is a much more complex and layered process," said the board's executive director, Karen Brinson Bell, in remarks picked up by FOX News Digital.
The Robert Kennedy Jr. campaign asserted in the court filing, according to The News & Observer, that denying him that right meant "irreparable harm" and, moreover, violated the constitutional rights of the former independent candidate:
"By refusing to acknowledge Kennedy’s statutory rights and entitlements, defendants have irreparably harmed him. Even worse, by forcing Kennedy to remain on the ballot against his will, defendants are compelling speech in violation of (the Constitution)."
North Carolina is not the only state that has refused to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name from election ballots. As The Hill reported, the election boards in Michigan and Wisconsin also decided to keep the former independent candidate's name on their ballots, thus fragmenting the vote in these three states which could prove key during the presidential election.
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