Supreme Court Denies RFK Jr.’s Bid to Remove His Name From Ballots in Key States

Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign event hosted by Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Falk Productions manufacturing facility in Walker, Mich. on on Sept. 27, 2024.

The Supreme Court rejected Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s late requests to remove his name from the presidential election ballots in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Kennedy, who now supports former President Donald Trump in his race against Vice President Kamala Harris, argued that the two states were violating his constitutional rights by keeping him on the ballot against his wishes.

Officials in Wisconsin and Michigan stated that Kennedy’s requests, submitted on August 23, were too late under their state laws, as voting had already begun. In Wisconsin, Kennedy requested stickers to cover his name on millions of ballots not yet distributed to voters.

The court declined to grant Kennedy’s requests without providing an explanation, as is common practice for emergency matters. Justice Neil Gorsuch indicated that he would have sided with Kennedy in the Michigan case. Lower courts had supported the states’ positions. 

Kennedy, who withdrew from the race on August 23, has sought to have his name remain on the ballot in some states while being removed from others. Justice Sonia Sotomayor last month refused to include Kennedy’s name on the New York ballot.

The Wisconsin case is Kennedy v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, . The Michigan case is Kennedy v. Benson, .