RFK Jr.’s Pro-Trump Plan Wreaks Havoc on Voting in Crucial State
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Republican-run North Carolina state Supreme Court have majorly sabotaged the democratic process in the key battleground state. The court ruled 4–3 on Monday to remove Kennedy from the ballot in that state, requiring election officials to destroy nearly three million ballots that included Kennedy’s name and to redesign 2,348 ballot styles. “To protect this important right, the elections process should ensure that voters are presented with accurate information regarding the candidates running for an elected office,” wrote Republican Justice Trey Allen in his majority opinion. “Where a ballot contains misleading information or inaccurately lists the candidates, it risks interfering with the right to vote according to one’s conscience.”Not only will this last-minute change delay the distribution of ballots, it will also cut into early voting for North Carolina residents in violation of state and possibly federal laws, according to Slate. State law requires early voting to begin on September 6, and federal law requires that absentee ballots be mailed overseas by September 21—a deadline election administrators are now unlikely to meet.Allen alleged that the state board of elections had purposefully rushed to print ballots featuring Kennedy’s name, noting that they had not halted production the second he announced he was “suspending” his campaign. But in his speech announcing his withdrawal from the presidential race, Kennedy made no mention of dropping out in North Carolina and did not file for removal until five days later. Since “suspending” his campaign, Kennedy has sought to take his name off the ballots in states where his presence will hurt Donald Trump’s chances at winning but keep his name on the ballot where it will help him. Even in suspension, Kennedy is insistent on running a spoiler campaign against the Democrats. “We acknowledge that expediting the process of printing new ballots will require considerable time and effort by our election officials and significant expense to the State,” Allen wrote in his opinion. “But that is a price the North Carolina Constitution expects us to incur to protect voters’ fundamental right to vote their conscience and have that vote count.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Republican-run North Carolina state Supreme Court have majorly sabotaged the democratic process in the key battleground state.
The court ruled 4–3 on Monday to remove Kennedy from the ballot in that state, requiring election officials to destroy nearly three million ballots that included Kennedy’s name and to redesign 2,348 ballot styles.
“To protect this important right, the elections process should ensure that voters are presented with accurate information regarding the candidates running for an elected office,” wrote Republican Justice Trey Allen in his majority opinion. “Where a ballot contains misleading information or inaccurately lists the candidates, it risks interfering with the right to vote according to one’s conscience.”
Not only will this last-minute change delay the distribution of ballots, it will also cut into early voting for North Carolina residents in violation of state and possibly federal laws, according to Slate.
State law requires early voting to begin on September 6, and federal law requires that absentee ballots be mailed overseas by September 21—a deadline election administrators are now unlikely to meet.
Allen alleged that the state board of elections had purposefully rushed to print ballots featuring Kennedy’s name, noting that they had not halted production the second he announced he was “suspending” his campaign. But in his speech announcing his withdrawal from the presidential race, Kennedy made no mention of dropping out in North Carolina and did not file for removal until five days later.
Since “suspending” his campaign, Kennedy has sought to take his name off the ballots in states where his presence will hurt Donald Trump’s chances at winning but keep his name on the ballot where it will help him. Even in suspension, Kennedy is insistent on running a spoiler campaign against the Democrats.
“We acknowledge that expediting the process of printing new ballots will require considerable time and effort by our election officials and significant expense to the State,” Allen wrote in his opinion. “But that is a price the North Carolina Constitution expects us to incur to protect voters’ fundamental right to vote their conscience and have that vote count.”
