Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won two appeals Friday AHe is seeking to have his name removed from the state’s ballot, delaying the first scheduled mailing of mail-in ballots for the 2024 election.
In North Carolina, an appeals court ruled that Kennedy’s name should be removed from the ballot, a decision that would force counties to reprint ballots that were scheduled to be mailed starting Friday. It’s unclear whether the ruling, which overturns a lower court’s denial Thursday, will be appealed. But it will at least temporarily delay the distribution of mail-in ballots.
In Michigan, an appeals court also agreed to remove Kennedy from the ballot, disagreeing with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, who said it was too late to remove him. Benson plans to appeal immediately, said Angela Benander, a spokeswoman for the secretary, because ballots for military and overseas voters are due to be sent out soon.
As a third-party presidential candidate, Kennedy had fought for ballot access. But after dropping out of the race and endorsing former President Donald Trump, he sought ballot access again. to withdraw from the electoral rolls, because polls indicate that his presence on the ballot could harm the Republican candidate.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections ordered election officials in an email sent late Friday morning not to send out ballots by mail.
“Obviously this is going to be a big task for everyone. Our attorneys are currently reviewing the order and determining how to proceed. No decision has been made as to whether this decision will be appealed,” said Paul Cox, general counsel for the state elections authority.
Reprinting ballots in North Carolina would be a costly undertaking that could significantly delay the distribution of mail-in ballots, thousands of which were supposed to be sent to overseas and military voters as early as Friday.
In Michigan, ballots have not yet been printed, but they are expected to be soon. Ballots for military and overseas voters are due on September 21, while mail-in ballots are expected to be sent on September 26.
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