RFK Jr. Announces Ballot Access In Key States, Promises More To Come

 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. submitted paperwork to secure ballot access in New York, he announced Tuesday—as his independent presidential campaign deploys an aggressive and laborious strategy to secure his place on ballots in all 50 states.

 Kennedy and his running mate Nicole Shanahan submitted 135,519 signatures, more than three times what is required, to New York election officials to be placed on the November presidential election ballot, his campaign said Tuesday.

Kennedy has officially gained ballot access in seven states—Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, Oklahoma, Hawaii and Texas—according to his campaign, which said it has collected enough signatures to be placed on the ballot in nine others—New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey and New York.

Without the backing of an official political party, Kennedy is required to petition for ballot access in most states, though he’s attempted a workaround in several states by soliciting nominations from lesser-known political parties, including the Natural Law Party of Michigan and the American Independent Party in California.

While Kennedy hasn’t gained ballot access in enough states to secure the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the presidential election, his presence on the ballot in just one of the six swing states (Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin) that are expected to decide the 2024 election could be enough to sway the outcome as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are consistently polling within single digits of each other.

Kennedy’s campaign has also filed lawsuits challenging ballot access rules in several states, including Utah and Maine, and his campaign has admittedly delayed filing petitions until the last minute to avoid challenges from the Democratic Party, his campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear told the New York Times.

Kennedy’s campaign said last week it had secured ballot access in Florida after he was nominated by the obscure Reform Party, founded by former independent presidential candidate Ross Perot, for its ticket. Kennedy’s place on the ballot is dependent on whether the Reform Party can regain its status as a minor political party with the Florida Division of Elections, however, the Florida Phoenix reported. State elections officials cancelled the party in August after it failed to comply with a 2022 audit, the outlet reported, and its application to be recognized again as a minor political party is under review, a Department of State spokesperson told the Phoenix.

The DNC filed a complaint against Kennedy with the Federal Election Commission in February, alleging it illegally coordinated with the American Values 2024 PAC backing his candidacy to secure ballot access.

Kennedy initially launched his presidential bid as a Democrat, but later switched to run as an independent, allowing him to continue his bid if he lost the primary election to Biden. Polls are split on whether Kennedy, a scion of the country’s most famous Democratic family but whose criticism of Covid-19 protocols appeal to Republicans, would draw more votes from Biden or Trump. Kennedy is currently polling at about 10% in the six battleground states in a six-way matchup that also includes independent candidate Cornel West, Libertarian candidate Lars Mapstead and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, along with former President Donald Trump and Biden, according to a recent New York Times/Siena/Philadelphia Inquirer poll.