RFK Jr. sues North Carolina elections board as he seeks to remove his name from ballot
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suing the North Carolina State Board of Elections in a last-ditch effort to have his name removed from the state’s ballot for the 2024 presidential election.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Wake County Superior Court, alleges that the board’s denial of his request to remove his name as a third-party presidential candidate violates state election law and his right to free speech, it said. The news & Observer And WRAL.
“With the November election approaching and the deadline for voting fast approaching, Kennedy has no choice but to turn to this Court for immediate relief,” the lawsuit says.
Since he suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump In August, Kennedy attempted to withdraw his name in states where the race could be close, such as North Carolina.
At the same time, Kennedy made an effort to remain on the ballot in states like New York, where his presence it is unlikely that it will make a difference in the battle between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Unless the court intervenes, Kennedy’s name will appear on the North Carolina ballot in November.
On Thursday, the three Democrats on the North Carolina board voted with two Republicans against the request to remove Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, from the “We The People” party line.
The Democratic majority said it was too late, as 67 of the state’s 100 counties had already begun printing ballots, the first of which must be mailed by Sept. 6.
According to Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the board, the primary vendor has already printed more than 1.7 million ballots for most counties, and reprinting would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“When we talk about printing a ballot, we’re not talking about … pressing ‘copy’ on a Xerox machine. This is a much more complex and multi-layered process,” Brinson Bell told the board.
The two Republicans disagreed, saying the board could extend the legal deadline for mail-in ballots.
___
Olivia Diaz is a staff member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-reported issues.