In a surprising turn of events, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who recently suspended his third-party presidential campaign and threw his support behind former President Trump, has now initiated a lawsuit against the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
His objective is to have his name removed from the state's ballot before the November elections.
As reported by Fox News, Kennedy had previously stated his intention to remain on the ballot in states where Democratic and Republican victories were assured, but he wished to avoid influencing the outcome in battleground states. This move comes amidst recent polls indicating a neck-and-neck race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in North Carolina.
Kennedy's legal action follows his summer efforts to secure a place on the North Carolina ballot, where he sought signatures for his We the People party. However, his request for removal from the ballot was denied by the elections board in a 3-2 vote on Thursday. The board cited the fact that nearly 2 million ballots have already been printed in 67 of 100 counties, and the cost of reprinting them would be exorbitant, especially with the first deadline for absentee ballots looming on September 6.
Karen Brinson Bell, the Board Executive Director, emphasized the complexity of the ballot printing process, stating, "When we talk about printing a ballot, we are not talking about ... pressing copy on a Xerox machine. This is a much more complex and layered process."
Kennedy's lawsuit argues that he has no alternative but to seek immediate relief from the court, given the impending November election and the fast-approaching ballot deadlines. The lawsuit further contends that the election board's decision infringes upon his speech and violates state election law, as reported by The Charlotte Observer.
Despite withdrawing from the race, Kennedy maintains that he could still ascend to the presidency if neither Trump nor Harris secures the required 270 electoral votes. On August 23, he made a joint appearance with Trump at their inaugural rally together. Kennedy passionately addressed the crowd in Glendale, Arizona, questioning, "Don't you want a President who's going to protect America's freedoms and who is going to protect us against totalitarianism?" He further appealed to the crowd's desire for a safe environment and healthy food for their children, and a President committed to making America healthy again.
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