Former Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been unsuccessful in his attempt to have his name removed from Wisconsin’s ballot. The state Supreme Court has ruled against him in this matter.
The Court ruled that Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen E. Ehlke acted appropriately in denying Kennedy’s request for a temporary injunction and in allowing the former candidate to remain on the ballot.
According to the Court, Kennedy’s assertion of harm stems from his alleged violations of the Constitution. However, since he fails to provide enough evidence to evaluate these claims, it is impossible to determine whether the circuit court made an error in concluding that he would not experience irreparable harm in this particular situation.
The legal battle between Kennedy and the WEC has come to a close with this decision. Despite dropping out of the race in August, Kennedy’s name remained on the state’s ballot after a 5-1 vote by WEC members. Kennedy then filed a lawsuit, which was ruled against by the Dane County Circuit Court on Sept. 16.
The WEC swiftly petitioned Wisconsin’s highest court to permanently resolve the issue after Kennedy’s appeal was filed, as hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots with Kennedy’s name had already been sent out by clerks, as reported by the WEC.
Despite the objection of the court’s two conservative justices regarding the procedural violation, the court decided to bypass the appeals process and promptly proceed with the case.
Conservative Justices Rebecca Grassl Bradley and Annette Kingsland Ziegler ultimately agreed with the court’s decision. However, they expressed concern over the lack of procedural process.
“The implications of this case are significant,” emphasized Grassl Bradley. “It is possible for voters to choose a candidate who has already withdrawn from the race, thus depriving them of their ability to make a meaningful vote.
Ballots that feature a non-candidate can mislead voters and potentially influence the outcome of a presidential election. In this instance, the negative impact on voter participation in our democratic process is indeed tangible.”
Source: Newsbreak