Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to supporters during a campaign event, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Royal Oak, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
Third-party presidential candidate and controversial figure Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has filed to appear on Indiana’s presidential ballot in November.
The Indiana Election Division confirmed that Kennedy met Monday’s noon deadline for submission but said it hasn’t yet counted Kennedy’s signatures.
Kennedy reported submitting over 105,000 petition signatures for an independent bid to county election officials on July 1, more than the minimum 36,943 needed to qualify. He said officials certified nearly 39,000 signatures, allowing him to appear on the ballot alongside Democrat and Republican nominees.
“While canvassing for signatures, 99% of the people I encountered wanted to sign the petition to get Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the ballot,” said Indiana campaign volunteer Dolores Lane in Kennedy’s release. “Indianans are ready to end government corruption and embrace healthy people, healthy food, healthy soils — and the return of our Constitutional freedoms.”
For a third-party candidate to qualify, they must submit signatures to county election officials by noon on July 1. Once certified by counties, those petitions are then filed with the Indiana Election Division by noon on July 15.
The election division then reviews the certifications and counts signatures before informing the Secretary of State of the number of valid signatures. That office then determines if a candidate has met the threshold to appear on the ballot.
Kennedy — and his running mate Nicole Shanahan, a California philanthropist — have reported success in filing for access on 10 state ballots, submitted to appear in 14 additional states (including Indiana) and say they have the signatures to qualify in five more. Combined, the 29 states have 390 electoral votes, including Indiana’s 11. Candidates must hit the minimum 270 electoral college votes to be elected president.
Kennedy didn’t meet the national ballot appearance threshold necessary to appear in last month’s debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The FiveThirtyEight polling average for Kennedy is 9% — high for a longshot candidate but still far behind the 42.4% polling average for Trump and Biden’s 40.3% polling average.
By Whitney Downard — The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, not-for-profit news organization that covers state government, policy and elections.
