Current:Home > ContactWisconsin Supreme Court says Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name will remain on swing state’s ballot -Nova Finance Academy
Wisconsin Supreme Court says Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name will remain on swing state’s ballot
View
Date:2025-04-15 01:00:55
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name will remain on the state’s presidential ballot, upholding a lower court’s ruling that candidates can only be removed from the ballot if they die.
The decision from the liberal-controlled court marks the latest twist in Kennedy’s quest to get his name off ballots in key battleground states where the race between Republican Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is close. Kennedy’s attorney in Wisconsin, Joseph Bugni, declined to comment on the ruling.
The decision came after more than 418,000 absentee ballots have already been sent to voters. As of Thursday, nearly 28,000 had been returned, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Kennedy suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Trump. Earlier this month a divided North Carolina Supreme Court kept him off the ballot there while the Michigan Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision and kept him on.
Kennedy filed a lawsuit in Wisconsin on Sept. 3 seeking a court order removing him from the ballot. He argued that third-party candidates are discriminated against because state law treats them differently than Republicans and Democrats running for president.
He pointed out that Republicans and Democrats have until 5 p.m. on the first Tuesday in September before an election to certify their presidential nominee but that independent candidates like himself can only withdraw before an Aug. 6 deadline for submitting nomination papers.
Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke ruled Sept. 16 that Wisconsin law clearly states that once candidates file valid nomination papers, they remain on the ballot unless they die. The judge added that many election clerks had already sent ballots out for printing with Kennedy’s name on them. Clerks had until Thursday to get ballots to voters who had requested them.
Kennedy’s attorneys had said that clerks could cover his name with stickers, the standard practice when a candidate dies. Ehlke rejected that idea, saying it would be a logistical nightmare for clerks and that it is not clear whether the stickers would gum up tabulating machines. He also predicted lawsuits if clerks failed to completely cover Kennedy’s name or failed to affix a sticker on some number of ballots.
The presence of independent and third-party candidates on the ballot could be a key factor in Wisconsin, where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by between about 5,700 to 23,000 votes.
In 2016, Green Party nominee Jill Stein got just over 31,000 votes in Wisconsin — more than Trump’s winning margin of just under 23,000 votes. Some Democrats blamed her for helping Trump win the state and the presidency that year.
veryGood! (17)
Related
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- New search opens for plane carrying 3 that crashed in Michigan’s Lake Superior in 1968
- AP PHOTOS: Church services help Georgia residents mourn victims of school shootings
- Colorado rattlesnake 'mega-den' webcam shows scores of baby snakes born in recent weeks
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- US investigating reports that some Jeep SUVs and pickups can catch fire after engines are turned off
- Get 50% Off Erborian CC Cream That Perfectly Blurs Skin, Plus $10.50 Ulta Deals from COSRX, Ouidad & More
- Mariah Carey Speaks Out After Her Mom and Sister Die on the Same Day
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Beyoncé shares another 'Cécred Sunday' video of her wash day hair routine
Ranking
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- JoJo Siwa Is a Literal Furball in Jaw-Dropping New York Fashion Week Look
- Polaris Dawn: SpaceX targets new launch date for daring crewed mission
- Caleb Williams has forgettable NFL debut with Chicago Bears – except for the end result
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Kirk Cousins' issues have already sent Atlanta Falcons' hype train off track
- Shailene Woodley Reacts to Backlash Over Sharing Melania Trump’s Letter About Husband Donald Trump
- Jailed Harvey Weinstein taken to NYC hospital for emergency heart surgery, his representatives say
Recommendation
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Bruce Springsteen talks 'Road Diary' and being a band boss: 'You're not alone'
Bruce Springsteen’s Wife Patti Scialfa Shares Blood Cancer Diagnosis
Granola is healthier than you might think, but moderation is still key
Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
After 26 years, a Border Patrol agent has a new role: helping migrants | The Excerpt
Puka Nacua leaves Los Angeles Rams' loss to Detroit Lions with knee injury
Polaris Dawn: SpaceX targets new launch date for daring crewed mission