“It’s a sham”: Judge denies RFK’s main address is 1-bedroom unit in NYC
ATLANTA — Independent presidential candidates will learn what Libertarians like Chase Oliver already know: It takes more than money to get on ballots in every state plus Washington D.C.
It takes experience and infrastructure to get past seemingly random ballot-access laws in each state. Even Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s billionaire running mate Nicole Shanahan – without limits on what she can spend on the campaign – will find that even well paid, experienced petitioners can’t reach the goals.
“Ballot access is the greatest challenge to those of us seeking to tear down the 2 party system,” says Oliver, who was nominated by the nation’s third-largest political party and is currently on the ballot in 22 states. “I am honored to be the Libertarian candidate who is best poised to challenge the duopoly across the nation.”
Despite RFK’s claims that every voter will see his name on the ballot, that’s highly unlikely. He is facing legal challenges along with the standard hard-to-reach signature goals and sometimes-capricious challenges that dog aspiring presidential candidates who are not running under the Republican or Democrat banner.
Libertarians are no stranger to ballot access hurdles. New York had changed their petitioning requirements from 15,000 signatures to 45,000 in 2020. As if that wasn’t already hard enough, candidates can be kept off the ballot for a myriad of reasons. A New York state court ruled Monday that RFK does not count as a New York resident and should not appear on that state’s ballot. His attorney plans to appeal before the Aug. 15 deadline.
Denying the New York address could have implications in other states: Petitions in other states used the New York address as the candidate’s address. Some states can throw out signatures if there’s an error on the form.
He also faces court challenges in South Carolina and New Jersey.
Here are the statuses, as of Monday, Aug. 13, of the most commonly referenced minor party and independent candidates. More states are expected to announce this week whether or not candidates have met that state’s requirements.
Libertarians Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat:
- Are certified on 22 states ballots;
- Have paperwork filed in seven states;
- Have petitions filed in four states;
- Are qualified for the ballot and need to file in 10 states;
- Still petitioning in five states;
- Will be a write-in ticket in three states.
Independents Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan:
- Are certified on 17 states ballots;
- Signature drives and petition filings are in progress in 22 states; this number includes New York.
Green Party’s Jill Stein and her unnamed running mate:
- Are certified on 18 state ballots;
- In progress on two more states;
- In a separate effort, the Green Party is on 19 ballots – this step is being done ahead of the party’s convention.
Independent Cornel West and Melina Abdulla:
- Are certified on five ballots
- In progress in two more states
Find out more about the Chase Oliver campaign at https://votechaseoliver.com/
For further inquiries and comments from Chase Oliver, please contact:
Amber Howell, Media Director
(706) 436-3690
Links to information about third-party candidate ballot access:
https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-rfk-jr-ballot-new-york-residency-faaf0c8d7638cdfcdbe3c4eb7b542eef
https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_for_major_and_minor_party_candidates