A Michigan appeals court has sided with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s request to have his name removed from the general election ballot, with the secretary of state’s office planning to appeal the decision to a higher court.
In a unanimous decision handed down on Sept. 6, the Michigan Court of Appeals ordered Kennedy’s name removed from the November ballot, overturning a lower court ruling that ordered him to remain on the ballot despite the fact that he has withdrawn from the race for the White House and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
The three-judge panel on the Michigan Court of Appeals found that Kennedy’s request for his name to be removed from the ballot was made close to the deadline for candidates to give notice to local officials, but not too late. The judges also found no statutory authority that would prohibit a candidate from withdrawing from the race, noting that it is Kennedy’s “clear legal right” to do so….