Candidate seeks intervention from justices after state judge finds improper address in election paperwork.
The Supreme Court’s decision on Friday regarding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ballot eligibility in New York was to not reinstate him after a state court judge found that he had used a fake address on his petition. The court’s order did not provide reasons, as is customary for emergency applications, and there were no dissenting opinions.
Kennedy had paused his campaign and thrown his support behind former President Donald J. Trump. However, his legal team argued that voters should still have the option to vote for him, emphasizing that a suspended campaign does not equate to a terminated one.
The Democratic Party has been proactive in keeping third-party candidates off the ballot, perceiving them as a potential threat to their own candidates. Recent polls suggested that Kennedy would draw similar numbers of votes from Trump and President Biden, with some indicating that he might attract more Trump supporters than Vice President Kamala Harris.
New York law mandates that candidates must declare their “place of residence” as their fixed, permanent, and primary home, where they always intend to return. Kennedy primarily resides in a Los Angeles home with his wife, actress Cheryl Hines. However, the petition listed an address in Katonah, Westchester County, where he reportedly rents a spare room from a childhood friend and has stayed overnight only once.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court’s decision not to reinstate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the New York ballot underscores the importance of adhering to state election laws and regulations, particularly in terms of candidate residency requirements.
Source: The NY Times
