Former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has filed a lawsuit against the North Carolina Board of Elections, seeking to have his name removed from the ballot in the pivotal battleground state before the November election, according to The Washington Post and The News & Observer – then later reported by USA Today.
Kennedy’s legal action follows the Board’s decision to reject his request to withdraw, citing the logistical challenge of reprinting absentee ballots that have already been issued to voters. Absentee ballots featuring Kennedy’s name are scheduled to be mailed out on September 6. Kennedy suspended his campaign last month and endorsed former President Donald Trump, announcing in a virtual address that he would remove his name from ballots in approximately ten key states where he could act as a “spoiler” – as reported on USA Today.
The North Carolina Board of Elections explained in a statement that reprinting ballots already in circulation would not meet the state law’s absentee voting deadlines. Kennedy’s lawsuit, filed in Wake County Superior Court on Friday, contends that the Board’s refusal to remove his name infringes upon his legal rights and causes him irreparable harm. The lawsuit also argues that by forcing him to remain on the ballot against his wishes, the Board is violating his constitutional rights to freedom of speech.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that any difficulties cited by the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) regarding the removal of his name are a result of the Board’s own decisions.
