The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will remain on the state’s ballot for the upcoming election. Kennedy had requested to have his name removed but failed to provide adequate legal arguments to support his case. The court did not make any legal determinations but stated that Kennedy’s briefing was insufficient. The court’s decision comes after Kennedy filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commission, arguing that independent candidates face unfair treatment compared to party-aligned candidates regarding ballot access deadlines.
The court’s liberal majority accepted the petition from the Wisconsin Elections Commission to bypass the appeals court and address the case directly. Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler and Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradley, both conservatives, voted not to take the case. Kennedy’s request to be removed from Wisconsin’s ballot coincided with his petition to be placed on the presidential ballot in New York.
Republicans have pushed to have Kennedy’s name removed from battleground state ballots out of concerns that his presence could draw votes away from former President Donald Trump. Despite the legal dispute, Kennedy’s name will remain on Wisconsin’s ballot in November, alongside other presidential candidates including Jill Stein and Cornel West. The court’s decision reflects the legal complexities surrounding candidate withdrawals and ballot access deadlines, highlighting the challenges faced by independent candidates in the electoral process.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com
