Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has successfully qualified for the ballot in Oregon, as confirmed by the state's elections division. This achievement comes after Kennedy's campaign submitted 50,000 signatures to Oregon's elections office on behalf of the We the People Party, a minor party established by his campaign to secure ballot access in multiple states.
In Oregon, new statewide minor parties are required to submit 29,294 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. The elections division in Oregon announced on Monday that Kennedy had met this requirement, thereby recognizing the We the People Party as a valid political entity in the state.
With Oregon now on board, Kennedy has secured ballot access in a total of 17 states. In addition to Oregon, he is also on the ballot in Vermont, Colorado, New Mexico, Tennessee, Minnesota, South Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, Oklahoma, Delaware, California, Nebraska, North Carolina, Michigan, Hawaii, and Utah. This means that Kennedy is eligible for 220 electoral votes across these states.
However, the road to nationwide ballot access for Kennedy hit a snag earlier on Monday when a New York judge ruled that his ballot access petition in the state was invalid. This ruling represents the first significant setback for the independent presidential candidate's efforts to secure ballot access across the country.
