The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled to remove former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the state’s ballots. The ruling upheld an appeals court decision and means ballots will need to be reprinted. Kennedy’s attorney did not comment on the ruling. Kennedy, who dropped out of the race and endorsed Donald Trump, fought to get his name removed from state ballots to avoid hurting Trump’s chances. The legal battle over Kennedy’s appearance on the North Carolina ballot delayed the timing of ballots being sent out. The court’s decision was based on protecting voters’ rights to vote their conscience and ensuring accurate vote counting. The ruling cited the state constitution’s Free Elections Clause in rejecting efforts to block Kennedy’s removal from the ballot. A spokesperson for the North Carolina State Board of Elections did not comment on the decision or the new timeline for ballots. The decision was seen as protecting voters from mistakenly believing Kennedy remained a candidate and potentially disenfranchising them. The Trump campaign did not comment on the ruling.
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State Supreme Court orders removal of RFK Jr. from North Carolina ballots
