Wisconsin judge: RFK Jr.’s name STAYS on the Badger State ballot

09/20/2024 / By Ramon Tomey

A judge has ruled that the name of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won’t be struck off the Wisconsin state ballot.

Dane County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Ehlke issued his ruling on Sept. 16, rejecting Kennedy’s request to have his name struck off the ballot. According to his decision, Wisconsin law only permits presidential candidates to be removed if they die after submitting valid nomination papers. Ehlke added that state law prohibits candidates from withdrawing after they file nomination papers, and that Kennedy was asking the court to make an exception to the law only for him.

“The statute is plain on its face,” the magistrate wrote, emphasizing its clear language. “Kennedy has no one to blame but himself if he didn’t want to be on the ballot. Courts are required to apply the law as written, not as some party wishes it were written.”

“Kennedy appealed to a state appellate court last week, ahead of Ehlke’s ruling. The [U.S.] Second District Court of Appeals is considering the case, but was awaiting [the circuit judge’s] decision,” the National Pulse reported. But given the Sept. 18 deadline for printing ballots in the state, the outlet noted that “there is limited time for Kennedy to pursue further legal action.” (Related: Colorado, Michigan and Wisconsin refusing to remove RFK Jr. from ballot, all to hurt Trump.)

Earlier, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) voted 5-1 to include Kennedy on the ballot. According to the WEC, Kennedy’s name must appear on the ballot as the only event that can cause a candidate’s removal is death – a statute Ehlke cited in his Sept. 16 ruling.

“If a candidate dies after ballots have been printed, the candidate’s name may be covered by a white sticker on the ballot,” the Wisconsin Examiner stated. “Kennedy’s attorneys pushed for his name to be similarly covered with stickers.”

Wisconsin Assistant AG: Removing RFK Jr.’s name from ballots an “impossible request”

But according to Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General Stephen Kilpatrick, putting stickers on Kennedy’s name on ballots is an “impossible request.” This is because the effect the stickers would have on vote counting machines remains unknown, and the labor required to cover his name would also force clerks to miss state and federal deadlines.

Last month, Kennedy suspended his presidential campaign as an independent and endorsed former President Donald Trump. Despite this, he continues to seek the removal of his name from ballots in battleground states. According to Kennedy, his presence in swing state ballots increases Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances of winning by taking much-needed votes from Trump.

Meanwhile, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that Kennedy’s name must be struck off the state ballots. According to the Examiner, this has caused a delay of up to two weeks.

“Democrats were able to remove Joe Biden’s name from the Wisconsin ballot earlier this summer, supposedly because he had yet to be certified as the party’s official nominee,” the Pulse pointed out.

“The presence of independent candidates in Wisconsin’s election could significantly impact the results. The state has experienced narrow margins in four of the past six presidential elections, ranging from 5,700 to about 23,000 votes.”

Head over to Kennedy.news for more stories about RFK Jr.’s quest to have his name removed from swing state ballots.

Watch this Sky News report about the removal of RFK Jr.’s name in North Carolina ballots.

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