Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has successfully qualified for the ballot in New Jersey after a ruling by New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way. The ruling came after Kennedy faced a challenge to his ballot petition from local elections attorney Scott Salmon.
The challenge was based on New Jersey's 'Sore Loser Law,' which typically prevents candidates who ran for office in a primary from seeking the same office in a general election as an independent candidate. However, Way determined that the law did not apply to Kennedy's case.
Way's decision was based on the fact that Kennedy did not file a ballot petition for the state's primary or conduct a write-in campaign in New Jersey. As a result, she accepted Kennedy's nominating petition, allowing him to appear on the ballot in November.
In response to the ruling, Salmon expressed satisfaction with the clarification provided by the Secretary of State regarding the application of the Sore Loser Law. While he still believed Kennedy should have been barred from the ballot, Salmon acknowledged the importance of establishing clear guidelines for future election cases.
With New Jersey now added to the list, Kennedy has qualified for the ballot in a total of 15 states and is eligible to receive 172 electoral college votes.
