SCOTUS rejects emergency effort to remove RFK Jr. from ballot in two key states

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected emergency appeals to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the presidential contest in two battleground states.

Kennedy wanted to withdraw from the ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan after abandoning his independent bid and supporting Republican Donald Trump in tight races. He argued that keeping him in office violated his First Amendment rights.

Michigan and Wisconsin said it would be impossible to remove his name now due to early voting taking place just days before the election.

The judges did not provide details of their reason for rejecting the emergency appeal. Justice Neil Gorsuch dissented in the Michigan case.

The presence of independent and third-party candidates on the ballot in swing states could be a significant factor in close presidential races. The high court previously rejected Kennedy’s separate effort to remain on the ballot in New York, a state where his presence is unlikely to make a difference in the race between Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.

Kennedy has been working to get out the vote in seven key swing states since endorsing Trump. Wisconsin and Michigan were the last two places where his name was expected to come up.

In Michigan, he won in the appeals court, but the courts ultimately found that he had missed the deadline to withdraw as a candidate for the Natural Law Party, which wanted him to remain in office.

In Wisconsin, courts found that eligible candidates filing nomination papers must remain on the ballot until they die, and the plan to cover Kennedy’s name with stickers was impractical.