Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is taking legal action to remove his name from North Carolina‘s presidential ballot line in November. The move comes amid Kennedy’s decision to suspend his presidential campaign in battleground states and back former President Donald J. Trump.
Last Friday, Kennedy filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court, asserting that the North Carolina Election Board is causing him “irreparable harm” by not removing his name. The board had previously ruled against the removal, citing logistical constraints.
In issuing its ruling, the election board explained: “It would not be practical to reprint ballots that have already been printed and meet the state law deadline to start absentee voting.”
In recent days, the Kennedy campaign has worked to remove the candidate’s name from the presidential election ballot in about key swing states, including North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Election officials in Wisconsin and Michigan have ruled that the deadline to remove Kennedy’s name has passed, leaving the independent candidate on the ballot. Kennedy has successfully removed his name from the ballot in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.
Polling data suggests his Kennedy’s presence on ballots could aid Kamala Harris in the November election. Having largely ended his independent presidential bid on August 23, Kennedy publicly endorsed Trump and gained a role on the former president’s transition team.
Earlier in the year, Kennedy founded the We The People Party. He initially battled legal challenges from the North Carolina Democratic Party to secure his position on the ballot.