Washington Democrats try to boot RFK Jr from November ballot

The Washington State Democratic Party has launched an effort to keep independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off the November ballot in the Evergreen State. 

According to The Washington State Standard, the party has claimed that the 4,181 signatures submitted by We the People in support of Kennedy’s nomination were not collected at a party convention as required by state law, and that because of that he is ineligible to be listed on the ballot.

Lawyers for the party argued in a letter sent to Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs last week claimed that Kennedy’s campaign website listed various events and locations where registered voters could sign nomination petitions that don’t comply with state law.

According to the outlet, a decision is expected as early as this week. The deadline for the names of all presidential candidates to be listed on the ballot is Aug. 23. There are nine minor parties that have filed to be on the November ballot.

Kennedy’s campaign turned in paperwork plus signatures of registered voters on June 14 and was the first minor party candidate to do so. According to Washington state law, minor party candidates can qualify by collecting at least 1,000 signatures of registered voters at one or more conventions which must be held between the first Saturday in May and the fourth Saturday in July.

Additionally, at least 10 days in advance of a convention, the minor party must publish a notice in a newspaper of when and where it the event will be held. State law stipulates that a convention can be a meeting of as few as 100 registered voters and registered voter can only sign a petition for one minor party candidate.

Democrats have challenged Kennedy’s name on the ballot in multiple states across the country. Democrats were unsuccessful in removing Kennedy’s name in North Carolina but in New York, a judge ruled Monday that Kennedy cannot appear on the state’s ballot. He has three days to appeal the ruling.

Democrat-aligned super PAC Clear Choice Action has also filed challenges to keep Kennedy off the ballot in Pennsylvania and Illinois but in an Aug. 8 press release, Kennedy’s campaign said it has won ballot access legal challenges in Hawaii, Idaho, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Utah.