Alliance Party decided whether to keep RFK Jr. on the SC ballot. Here’s the decision
Robert Kennedy Jr. is now off of South Carolina’s presidential ballot.
The Alliance Party of South Carolina decided Monday night to remove Kennedy as its nominee after the political family scion suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump’s 2024 bid. The move takes Kennedy’s name off of South Carolina’s ballot.
When Kennedy dropped out of the White House race Friday, he attempted to split the baby by saying he would only remove his name from swing state ballots while keeping his name on the ballot in other states where his candidacy would not have an effect on the electoral college.
“While the party wishes Mr. Kennedy well, the Alliance Party of South Carolina and its candidates are dedicated to providing voters with a choice other than those provided by the Democratic and Republican political parties,” said Keisha Long, the chairwoman of the Alliance Party of South Carolina.
With the Alliance Party dropping Kennedy, his chances of being on the Palmetto State’s ballot are slim. Parties have until Tuesday of next week to certify presidential candidates.
Before Kennedy was the Alliance Party nominee in South Carolina, he initially sought the Democratic nomination. He then opted for an independent campaign, which required gathering 10,000 valid voter signatures in South Carolina to make the state’s ballot.
Kennedy’s campaign turned in more than 18,000 signatures. But the verification process to make sure at least 10,000 were valid registered voter signatures stopped at 8,000 verified signatures when Kennedy accepted the Alliance Party nomination.
The State Election Commission said the deadline to make the ballot as a petition candidate has passed and the signature verification cannot restart, leaving the volunteer efforts to gather the more than 18,000 signatures for naught.
This story was originally published August 27, 2024 at 9:43 AM.
