RFK Jr. Will Be on The Ballot in These Six States—With More In The Works, His Campaign Says

A group of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign workers and volunteers set up an assembly line of official documents, ID checks, and color-coded wristbands for hundreds of rallygoers before the presidential candidate hit the stage last month in Des Moines, Iowa. The joyful atmosphere among Midwesterners eagerly anticipating Kennedy’s speech, the packed bar at the back of the stadium, and the classic rock music blasting over the speakers provided a dramatic contrast to the bureaucratic personnel.

However, a key component of the rally’s significance was the documentation. The campaign of the independent candidate intended to exploit the occasion to meet the requirements for Iowa’s presidential ballot using a special procedure that calls for hundreds of Iowa registered voters to register for a procedure akin to a convention in order to legally nominate Kennedy.

In an attempt to secure a spot-on ballot in every state, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign collected signatures on Monday and turned them in to the Texas Secretary of State’s office. The goal of this effort is to have Kennedy Jr.’s name listed as a presidential candidate on the November general election ballot.

In order to obtain ballot access for himself and his running partner, Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy Jr.’s campaign submitted 245,572 signatures to Texas election authorities, more than twice the number needed, the campaign announced on Monday.

In addition, according to his campaign, Shanahan and Kennedy Jr. will be listed on the ballots in Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, and Oklahoma. It has also gathered enough signatures to be listed in New Hampshire, Nevada, Hawaii, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio.

Kennedy Jr. must petition for ballot access without the support of an official political party in the majority of states. However, he has tried to get around this requirement in a few states by requesting nominations from smaller political parties, such as the American Independent Party in California and the Michigan Natural Law Party.

In order to avoid challenges from the Democratic Party, Kennedy Jr.’s campaign has also filed lawsuits challenging ballot access laws in a number of states, including Maine and Utah. According to Stefanie Spear, a spokesman for the campaign, the campaign has purposefully delayed filing petitions until the very last minute.

Kennedy Jr. began his presidential campaign as a Democrat, but then changed to run as an independent. This move allowed him to pursue his candidacy even if he lost the primary to Vice President Joe Biden. There is disagreement in the polls over who would receive more support from Biden or Trump for Kennedy Jr., the famous Democratic scion whose criticism of COVID-19 norms appeals to Republicans. As Kennedy Jr.

According to a Monday New York Times/Siena/Philadelphia Inquirer poll, is currently polling at about 10% in a six-way race in six battleground states that also includes independent candidate Cornel West, Libertarian candidate Lars Mapstead, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, and former President Donald Trump and Biden. His candidacy could influence the outcome of the race (especially in battleground states), as Trump and Biden are polling within single digits of each other.

RFK Jr. Will Be on The Ballot In These Six States With More In The Works, His Campaign Says

According to his campaign, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent running for president, has qualified for slightly more than half of the 50 states he wants to win before November.

Kennedy has successfully petitioned to be included in the battleground states of Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, and North Carolina with less than six months till Election Day. He has also gathered enough support for larger objectives such as California.

Decision Desk HQ has verified ballot access in three states Michigan, Oklahoma, and Utah out of the thirteen that Kennedy is claiming. Here is the ballot access tracker for The Hill/DDHQ.

Although Kennedy has stated that he intends to run in every state and has stated that he would add new ones every week, Democrats and Republicans think the environmental lawyer probably just needs a few significant locations to force a “spoiler” result.

Campaign press secretary Stefanie Spear told The Hill that the Kennedy campaign is “working to pull votes away from disenfranchised voters of both President Biden and President Trump” with regard to their ballot access plan.

Kennedy claims to have made the ballot in the following states thus far.

California: 54 votes in the election

Even if California isn’t going to go red, Kennedy’s being on the ballot might hurt Biden’s chances of winning the presidency. More electoral votes are at stake in California than in any other race, and Kennedy may be enticing to voters who view him as a viable third alternative. A Silicon Valley tech lawyer and Oakland native, Nicole Shanahan, his running partner, adds even more street cred to the Kennedy-Shanahan ticket.

Kennedy’s name must be certified by the secretary of state by the end of August in order for him to be included on the ballot through the Independent Party.

Iowa: Six electoral votes

Despite the normal spotlight in the Hawkeye State this year, Kennedy hopes to leave his imprint. He made an appearance last month in West Des Moines, Iowa, where he organized supporters at an event akin to a convention for independent candidates. The convention, which is exclusive to Iowa, is a means of getting around the requirement that representatives from various counties write letters endorsing the candidate. Kennedy’s campaign announced that they had crossed the 25-country mark at their gathering, making him eligible to participate as a registered candidate.

Michigan

Votes in elections: 15

Perhaps the most significant vote in Kennedy’s present cache comes from Michigan. All over the state is what Spear refers to as the “movable middle.” Recent results in the Democratic primaries indicate that a hard-to-ignore section cast protest ballots. Out of the roughly 100,000 primary voters who cast a “uncommitted” ballot in February, Biden was denied two delegates. Kennedy may be able to get support from angry Biden supporters and other unhappy people who are tired of the president’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict but don’t want Trump because of Michigan’s uneasy electorate.

Nebraska Votes in the elections: 5

In Nebraska, abortion is anticipated to be a significant voting issue. A recently enacted law in the state prohibits abortions beyond 12 weeks, among other severe limitations. Democrats want to use abortion as a wedge issue to attack Kennedy for allegedly siding with the GOP on women’s health concerns, in addition to Republicans, who frequently push for stronger pro-life legislation. Encouraged by national Democrats, pro-choice activists will probably highlight differences between the Democratic Party’s positions under Biden and Kennedy in places where the issue will be presented to voters.

“Within the last year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has supported an abortion ban and other restrictions on reproductive health,” said Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist working as chief communications officer for the nonprofit MoveOn. His own running companion reiterated his anti-abortion stance as recently as last week. He can’t back out of this one, we promise.

Six electoral votes for Nevada

Both Republicans and Democrats are making an effort to win over Latino voters, recognizing their importance in crucial swing states like Nevada. Due to their very diverse voting patterns and histories of supporting both major parties or abstaining from politics entirely, Hispanics in the Silver State are particularly elusive and highly sought-after voters. Kennedy’s team added Nevada to their list of objectives after launching a Latino outreach effort in April. Kennedy’s friends and Democrats alike understand that his targeting of Latinos may backfire on Biden, whose support within the varied voting group has already begun to splinter in part due to his border policies.

Votes in the New Hampshire election: 4

Though it may be one of Kennedy’s best chances to win, the Granite State isn’t the state with the most electoral votes. Kennedy’s anti-establishment campaign resonates with the “Live Free or Die” mentality, and the state is noted for supporting outsiders over more established rivals in the 2016 Democratic and Republican primaries, such as Bernie Sanders and former President Trump. Even before he had a running companion, Kennedy qualified for New Hampshire among the first states on the ballot.

Election results for North Carolina: 16

This year, North Carolina is seen as one of the more recent swing states. Democrats aim to add those districts to Biden’s 270 plan and flip some of them. Trump’s campaign hopes to maintain their advantage following their close loss in 2020. Kennedy in this contest raises additional concerns for the major party contenders, similar to previous purple battlegrounds. He is formally running under the “We the People” party in order to circumvent the stringent signature requirements that apply to independent candidates.

Ohio: 17 electoral votes

Ohio is another state where Kennedy’s campaign hopes to find a significant number of “movable” voters. According to Spear, this comprises “people who have never voted or who have lost interest in the political system and young adults who are looking for a leader who can restore the American dream,” in addition to independents, who make up the largest voting group.

Though Ohio has mostly shifted to the Republican side and polls continue to Favor Trump over Biden, Kennedy has often garnered double-digit support in a three-way contest there, making him a volatile issue for both of his competitors to consider. Given Kennedy’s position in the fall, Trump may have an easier time winning Ohio than anticipated.