Amid reports that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on the ballot in Virginia, sources close to his campaign confirmed that the former presidential candidate plans to withdraw his name from the ballot in the battleground state.
Kennedy, who dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Donald Trump, initially qualified to appear on the Virginia ballot on Thursday. Earlier in the week, the Virginia Department of Elections reported that it had not received any indication from Kennedy’s campaign that he intended to be removed from the ballot. This statement contradicted Kennedy’s earlier public announcement that he would seek to remove his name from ballots in key battleground states.
As of Friday, the Virginia Department of Elections confirmed that Kennedy’s campaign had not formally requested his name be removed. However, sources close to the campaign, speaking anonymously, indicated that Kennedy still plans to withdraw from the Virginia ballot and is urging his supporters to vote for Trump.
Angela Gaines, the external affairs manager for the Virginia Department of Elections, explained that while there is no specific date for all ballots to be printed, Friday, September 6 is the final day for candidates to qualify for the state ballot. Early voting in Virginia is set to begin on September 20.
Though Kennedy intends to withdraw his name, there was no confirmation from the Department of Elections at the time of publication that he had submitted a formal request. If a candidate seeks to pull their name after ballots are printed, signs are typically posted at polling locations to inform voters that the candidate has dropped out, although votes can still be cast for that candidate, a Virginia Trump campaign official told the Caller.
Kennedy officially ended his presidential campaign on August 23 and endorsed Trump at a rally later that day, where he announced his intention to remove his name from ballots in swing states. However, Kennedy is facing difficulties in removing his name from several ballots. In Nevada and Michigan, state laws prevent candidates from withdrawing at this stage. In Wisconsin, the state election commission denied Kennedy’s removal request and confirmed his ballot access on Tuesday.
Jeffrey Ryer, a spokesperson for the Virginia Trump campaign, stated, “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has endorsed President Trump and is actively supporting the Trump-Vance campaign. President Trump and Senator Vance are campaigning to earn the votes of every American who supported the Kennedy-Shanahan campaign.” Trump also named Kennedy an honorary co-chair of his transition team, alongside former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.
Prior to Kennedy’s decision to drop out, an August 20 poll from Roanoke College showed that 6% of Virginians intended to vote for Kennedy as an independent candidate. The poll indicated that Vice President Kamala Harris led Trump in a direct matchup in Virginia, 47% to 44%, and 45% to 42% when other candidates were included. The survey, based on 691 respondents, has a margin of error of 4.5%.