Robert F Kennedy Jr struggles to remove his name from Wisconsin ballots

With Wisconsin’s absentee ballot mailing deadline looming on September 19, Robert F Kennedy Jr, former independent presidential candidate, is racing against time to remove his name from the presidential ballots. Despite ending his campaign and endorsing Donald Trump on August 25, Kennedy’s name remains on the ballot, sparking a legal battle.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission denied his request, citing state law that requires candidates’ names to remain on the ballot unless they die. Kennedy filed a lawsuit challenging the decision, arguing that state law unfairly treats third-party and major-party candidates differently.
However, his preliminary injunction request was denied, and a court ruling is expected on Tuesday.
Milwaukee County Elections Director Michelle Hawley warned that reprinting ballots would be a “big challenge”, costing around $80,000 and requiring specialised paper, according to the New York Post.
“We’ve already sent the ballots to the printer, and it would take a couple of days to source the paper,” Hawley said. “We would never meet our statutory deadlines.”
Hawley also expressed concerns that covering Kennedy’s name with stickers could gum up ballot machines, which have specialised sensors to weigh the ballots.
Eau Claire County Clerk Sue McDonald echoed Hawley’s concerns, stating, “In Wisconsin, most of the clerks have already gone to print. Some of our ballots have already been circulated to municipal clerks.”
McDonald added that some municipalities “already have ballots on hand” and are preparing to mail them to absentee voters.
Despite his campaign’s end, Kennedy still garners 6% of the Wisconsin vote, according to a Marquette Law School poll, reported the New York Post.
Kennedy’s petition for leave to appeal in a Waukesha County appeals court urged the court to “act and act quickly”, citing the need to address his constitutional arguments and remove his name from the ballot.
Kennedy’s lawyer emphasised the urgency.
“He needs the Court to address his constitutional arguments and take him off the ballot.”
With time running out, Wisconsin election officials await the court’s decision, bracing for potential reprinting and logistical challenges.