Sep 6, 2024 - Politics & Policy

North Carolina elections agency appeals to keep RFK Jr. on ballot

Sareen Habeshian

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks on stage beside Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during a campaign event at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on August 23, 2024. Kennedy announced the suspension of his presidential campaign and would endorse Trump. (Photo by Tom Brenner for The Was — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Glendale, Arizona, on Aug. 23. Photo: Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images

North Carolina's Board of Elections said Friday that it has appealed an order from the state's Court of Appeals to remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from 2024 general election ballots.

The big picture: The move comes hours after the North Carolina appeals court blocked the state from sending out absentee ballots while it considers a lawsuit from the former third-party presidential candidate, who is seeking to remove his name after dropping out of the race.

Zoom in: The agency said its staff will work through the weekend to start making the new ballots without Kennedy's name for the county board of elections to review, per a news release.

But the board asked the states' Supreme Court for an expedited decision so counties don't spend additional money preparing and printing new ballots if the appeal is successful.
There are nearly 2,350 different ballot styles statewide for the 2024 general election, and more than 2.9 million had already been printed, the agency said.
Friday was the initial deadline for sending out the ballots.

Between the lines: Kennedy's appearance on the ballot could help sway the presidential race in North Carolina, a swing state where elections are decided on the margin, Axios Raleigh's Zachery Eanes reports.

Go deeper: Mail-in voting start delayed in North Carolina over RFK Jr. lawsuit

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North Carolina elections agency appeals to keep RFK Jr. on ballot

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