Dem
49
GOP
51
We are so accustomed to having everything in the legal system take years and years, that when a decision is made in 2 or 3 days, it is mind-blowing. Last week, a Michigan judge ruled that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could not pull his name off the ballot for the simple reason that the statutory deadline for ballot changes had already passed. State law trumps Kennedy's political goals, or something like that. Then on Friday, an appeals court overturned that decision. Michigan AG Dana Nessel has already said she will appeal to the state Supreme Court.
In North Carolina, the state Board of Elections refused to remove Kennedy from the ballot—again, due to a pesky state law that said you can't do that after the deadline has passed. A three-judge panel overturned that decision, too. Who cares about state law when there are elections to be won? But this one is definitely not over. The Board of Elections is appealing to the state Supreme Court. It is arguing that the state has 2,350 different ballots statewide, which differ due to races for the state legislature and many local offices. It has already printed 2.9 million ballots and they were supposed to go out last Friday. The Board really doesn't want the expense and confusion of printing another 2.9 million ballots and delaying their mailing way beyond the statutory deadline just because it may benefit Kennedy's master, in violation of state law.
In Wisconsin, a Dane County circuit judge refused to remove Kennedy from the ballot. Junior will surely appeal that decision. Wouldn't it be nice if appeals courts would take this stuff and within one day rule: "What you want clearly violates state law, so no. Case dismissed."
Donald Trump got some more good news on Friday. Cornel West has qualified to be on the Virginia ballot. He claims to be on the ballot in 13 states, including the swing states of Wisconsin and North Carolina. He is also an official write-in candidate in 23 more. Minor candidates rarely get more than 1% even if they have a ballot line, unless they are quite well known. Write-in candidates do even worse, except in very specific circumstances (e.g., Joe Biden in the New Hampshire Democratic primary this year). (V)