It is the first state to give Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a noted vaccine skeptic who is running for president as an independent, a spot on its 2024 ballot.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent, will be on the ballot in Utah, his campaign announced on Wednesday at an event in Salt Lake City, capping a weekslong signature-gathering effort.
Utah is the first state to give Mr. Kennedy a spot on its ballot, and he has a lengthy and expensive path ahead to his stated goal of getting on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. He left the Democratic Party in October to pursue an independent bid for the White House.
Mr. Kennedy, who will turn 70 this month, is the scion of American political royalty and an environmental lawyer who has gained prominence in recent years for his promotion of conspiracy theories, including unproven claims about widespread governmental corruption and danger from vaccines.
Mr. Kennedy has drawn support from some disaffected Democrats, Republicans and independents, many of whom are attracted to his anti-establishment message. A poll from The New York Times and Siena College released in November found that unfavorable opinions of President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump could leave an opening for independent candidates like Mr. Kennedy.
Mr. Biden’s supporters have worried that Mr. Kennedy could siphon votes away from him, tilting the election toward the Republican nominee.
States make their own rules governing ballot access. Independent candidates must navigate a labyrinthine network governing the collection of signatures and financial reporting requirements. The effort is time-consuming and expensive.
Last month, a super PAC backing Mr. Kennedy said it would spend at least $10 million to get him on the ballot, focusing on 10 states. Two weeks later, the committee’s leaders said they would scale back that effort to seven states. Mr. Kennedy’s campaign is pursuing its own ballot-access efforts.
The campaign met Utah’s signature threshold last week, but it signed the official paperwork on Wednesday, Mr. Kennedy said.
In his remarks, Mr. Kennedy lamented “the undemocratic lock that the major political parties have on this process” and the “arbitrary and capricious” rules that states have in place for independent presidential bids.
“It’s all designed to keep third parties from getting on the ballot,” he said.
Rebecca Davis O’Brien covers campaign finance and money in U.S. elections. She previously covered federal law enforcement, courts and criminal justice. More about Rebecca Davis O’Brien
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Source: nytimes.com
