The Supreme Court made a decision on Tuesday regarding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s attempt to withdraw his name from ballots in Michigan and Wisconsin. Kennedy, who had suspended his campaign in August and endorsed former President Donald Trump, sought to have his name removed from the ballots in these battleground states. However, state election officials argued that it was too late to make such changes as early and absentee voting had already begun.
The Supreme Court, without providing further explanation as is common in emergency cases, declined Kennedy's request. Justice Neil Gorsuch dissented in the Michigan case. This decision came after Kennedy had previously asked the court to help him get on the ballot in New York, a request that was also rejected.
At the core of Kennedy's argument in Michigan and Wisconsin was the claim that the states were infringing on his First Amendment rights by compelling him to remain on the ballots, effectively forcing him to continue as a candidate. Michigan officials revealed that over 1.5 million voters had already cast absentee ballots with Kennedy's name on them, and an additional 263,000 residents had voted early.
This situation presented an unusual twist in the electoral process, with Kennedy initially suggesting that voters in less competitive states could still support him even after suspending his campaign. However, the Supreme Court's decision upheld the states' position that it was too late to remove his name from the ballots.
