RFK Jr. wants off the ballot in 10 states. Some battlegrounds are saying no
Washington — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent months battling for ballot access as an independent presidential candidate in every state, denying that he'd be a spoiler.
When Kennedy suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump on Aug. 23, he said he planned to ask to have his name removed from the ballot in 10 states because he was afraid that he might otherwise spoil Trump's chances of beating Vice President Kamala Harris. At the time, Kennedy planned to remain on the ballot in many noncompetitive states.
"Our polling consistently showed that by staying on the ballot in the battleground states, I would likely hand the election over to the Democrats, with whom I disagree on the most existential issues," he said of the seven battleground states and three others he considers competitive.
In the weeks since, Kennedy has removed his name from more state ballots than those that are considered to be a close race between Trump and Harris. In a Sept. 5 email to voters, Kennedy encouraged them to vote for Trump in all states, not just battlegrounds.
Some of the initial 10 states have granted Kennedy's request. Others said he must remain, though Kennedy has appealed those decisions. Here's where his efforts to get off the ballot in those states stand.
Arizona
Kennedy was set to appear on Arizona's ballot until he filed the paperwork to withdraw his name a day before he suspended his campaign.
"He won't appear on any ballot," a spokesperson for Arizona's secretary of state told CBS News.
Florida
Florida granted Kennedy's request to withdraw his candidacy, according to the Florida Department of State's website.
Kennedy had accepted the Reform Party's nomination as he fought for ballot access. Minor parties had until Saturday, the day after Kennedy suspended his campaign, to certify candidates' names with the state.
Georgia
A recent court ruling determined Kennedy was "not qualified" to appear on the ballot in Georgia, citing questions about his New York residency. A spokesperson for the secretary of state's office confirmed to CBS News that Kennedy "will not be appearing on the ballot in Georgia this election."
Michigan
As of Sept. 9, Kennedy will appear on the Michigan ballot.
On Sept. 6, a Michigan Court of Appeals panel granted his request to remove his name from the ballot, finding that although his request had been made "close to the deadline" for him to give notice of his candidacy to local election officials, it was not made so late that he should be barred from withdrawing.
The secretary of state appealed the decision to the Michigan Supreme Court, which reversed the appeals court's decision on Sept. 9. Kennedy "has not shown an entitlement to this extraordinary relief," the state's high court said, meaning he will be on the ballot.
A spokesperson for the secretary of state's office previously told CBS News that Kennedy's name would still appear on the ballot because "he cannot withdraw at this point."
Kennedy filed a lawsuit on Aug. 30 in Michigan's Court of Claims against Michigan's secretary of state after elections officials rejected his request to withdraw. A Michigan judge ruled that his name would remain on the ballot.
"Elections are not just games," the judge wrote in his Sept. 3 order, adding that the secretary of state "is not obligated to honor the whims of candidates for public office."
Kennedy gained ballot access through the Natural Law Party, a minor party that has ballot access. Doing so allowed him to bypass collecting thousands of signatures, which is required of independent candidates who do not have a party's backing.
Nevada
Kennedy was removed from the ballot in Nevada, despite missing the Aug. 20 deadline to withdraw his name.
The Nevada secretary of state confirmed Tuesday that it had received a court order to remove Kennedy from the ballot, ending a lengthy legal battle over his ballot access.
His initial petition was considered invalid because he did not have a running mate when signatures were collected, which is required by state law to be eligible for ballot access. Democrats also sued to boot him from the ballot, arguing that Kennedy's affiliation with different political parties in other states violates Nevada's ballot access laws for independent candidates. The lawsuit was dropped on Aug. 27.
North Carolina
Kennedy will not be on the ballot in North Carolina, the state Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 9.
The legal battle over whether Kennedy would appear delayed elections officials from sending out the first absentee ballots on Sept. 6.
The State Board of Elections rejected Kennedy's withdrawal request in August, saying millions of ballots had already been printed.
"It would not be practical to reprint ballots that have already been printed and meet the state law deadline to start absentee voting," the board said in a statement on Aug. 29.
The board held an emergency meeting to consider whether it was feasible to reprint the ballots. The vendor that prints the ballots estimated that "the time it would take to prepare and print new ballots would leave most North Carolina counties without ballots until mid-September at the earliest and lead to significant additional costs," the statement said.
Kennedy appealed the decision. On Sept. 5, a Wake County Superior Court denied his request to take his name off the ballot, but issued a brief pause on sending out absentee ballots to give him an opportunity to further appeal its decision.
On Sept. 6, the North Carolina Court of Appeals blocked the state from sending out absentee ballots and ordered new ballots to be printed without Kennedy's name.
The State Board of Elections is appealed the ruling with the North Carolina Supreme Court. The board said nearly three million ballots had already been printed and vendors expected that it could take up to two weeks to reprint them.
In a Sept. 9 statement, the board said the state Supreme Court's ruling "raises hard questions about when ballot preparation is ever truly final before ballots are distributed."
Ohio
Kennedy asked to withdraw from the Ohio ballot the same day the state announced he had qualified to appear on it. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose confirmed that Kennedy would be removed. The deadline for LaRose to certify the ballot that will be used in November is Sept. 6.
Pennsylvania
A judge granted Kennedy's request to withdraw his candidacy on Aug. 23. Before that, Kennedy faced a legal challenge from Democratic activists in the state who questioned the validity of his petition.
Texas
Kennedy withdrew his name from the ballot in Texas on the same day he suspended his campaign, according to the secretary of state's website.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Elections Commission certified that Kennedy would appear on the ballot on Aug. 27, rejecting his request to withdraw.
According to Wisconsin law, "any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination. The name of that person shall appear upon the ballot except in case of death of the person."
