On October 29, the US Supreme Court rejected former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s request. to remove his name from the list of candidates in two strategic states, Wisconsin and Michigan, according to Reuters. Mr. Kennedy, who ran as an independent candidate before withdrawing to support former President Donald Trump, has asked the Supreme Court to intervene so that his name only appears in some states, in order to affect the election. electoral situation. Specifically, he sought to withdraw his name in Republican-leaning states, where Mr. Trump has an advantage, and keep his name in Democratic-leaning states, which could reduce support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The two states of Wisconsin and Michigan are “swing states” with fierce competition between Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris, causing Mr. Kennedy’s efforts to be perceived as supporting Mr. Trump’s campaign. Previously, in September, the Supreme Court also rejected Mr. Kennedy’s request to restore his name on the candidate list in New York, a state that traditionally supports Democratic candidates.
According to Mr. Kennedy, election officials in Wisconsin and Michigan violated the right to freedom of speech stipulated in the First Amendment of the US Constitution by keeping his name on the ballot after he announced his withdrawal. However, Wisconsin officials said that state law does not allow the withdrawal of candidates’ names once they have been confirmed to be qualified to run for office. The federal appeals court in Michigan also rejected Mr. Kennedy’s argument, saying he did not clearly explain how to do this without disrupting the election process and voters’ rights.
The Supreme Court’s decision means Mr. Kennedy’s name will continue to appear on ballots in Wisconsin and Michigan. This move is expected to further complicate the race between Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris in these two states, where any small change could affect the final result.