Staff Reports
The campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has filed a lawsuit against Nevada's top election official, claiming that it is unconstitutional for independent candidates to be required to disclose the identity of their running mate at the time they collect signatures in order to be allowed to run for office. The campaign filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court of Nevada, arguing that the need on the petition to designate a running mate is against both the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the First Amendment.
The case was brought when the office of Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar clarified guidelines that, because the petition did not include a running partner, would probably render the signatures gathered by Kennedy Jr.'s campaign for the November election invalid. Kennedy Jr.'s team is attempting to stop the invalidation of these signatures, claiming that they were able to get the necessary 10,095 signatures for a petition that omitted his choice for vice president.
https://twitter.com/WashTimes/status/1797971601985552843
According to Aguilar's office, all independent candidates who had submitted petitions for ballot access far in advance of the signature deadline received accurate information. The office emphasized that independent candidates' petitions need to include a running mate and admitted that a staff member had given Kennedy Jr.'s campaign incorrect advice. In order to be included on the Nevada ballot, candidates must gather enough signatures on a petition and deliver it to the county election offices by July 5.
Just a few weeks after submitting the petition, in late March, Kennedy Jr. selected Nicole Shanahan to be his running partner. Kennedy Jr. filed the lawsuit in an effort to gain voting rights in states with at least 270 electoral votes by June 20 in order to participate in a CNN debate with former President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden.
Kennedy Jr. is using the lawsuit and the significance of the debate as part of his campaign strategy to make himself a contender. But Kennedy's followers have rallied against him, voicing worries about his influence on the election, along with those of Biden and Trump. Since third-party candidate polling is usually unreliable at this point in the race, it is still unclear how Kennedy will impact the outcome.
In conclusion, the campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suing the Nevada election official, arguing that independent candidates are not required to designate a running mate at the time they gather signatures to be allowed to run for office. The result of this action might affect Kennedy Jr.'s attempts to get ballot access and take part in an important discussion.
