On Monday, North Carolina’s Supreme Court issued a ruling that mandates the State Board of Elections to reprint its ballots without Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name. This decision is seen as a victory for RFK, but also for Trump. Previously, RFK suspended his campaign two weeks ago and publicly endorsed Trump.
The court’s order effectively reverses a prior directive issued on Friday, which halted the mailing of ballots that were originally set to be distributed that day. The Supreme Court’s decision was based on the premise that the integrity of the elections process should safeguard citizens’ right to vote according to their conscience.
The court order emphasizes the importance of presenting accurate information about candidates running for office, noting that a ballot containing misleading information or inaccurate candidate listings could interfere with this right. In the case of Kennedy’s name still being on the ballot despite his campaign suspension, the risk is that many voters might mistakenly believe he is still a valid candidate.
Initially, RFK had encouraged his supporters to vote for him in blue states where Trump seemed unlikely to win. However, recently, he urged all of his supporters to cast their votes for Trump.
The news comes as a welcome development for Trump after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Kennedy’s name will remain on the ballot in that state. The court overturned a lower court order. Notably, recent polling data suggests that Trump is now ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris in Michigan.