Robert F. Kennedy Jr., third-party candidates face ballot challenges in Pennsylvania

This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his running mate, and at least nine third-party candidates are facing challenges that could see them kicked off of Pennsylvania’s Nov. 5 general election ballot.

The petition against Kennedy, an independent candidate and member of a dynastic Democratic family who rose to prominence as a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist, was apparently filed with the backing of Clear Choice Action. The political action committee was formed by allies of President Joe Biden to challenge third-party and independent candidates.

In a state where recent presidential elections have been decided by just tens of thousands of votes, Kennedy’s appearance on the Pennsylvania ballot could affect whether Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump takes home the state’s coveted electoral votes. Recent polls show Kennedy with roughly 3% support among commonwealth voters.

Challenges to several other candidates were filed with Commonwealth Court by the 5 p.m. deadline Thursday.

The petition targeting Kennedy and his running mate Nicole Shanahan makes several arguments, including that Kennedy provided the wrong home address and that the candidates did not submit enough signatures.

The Pennsylvania Department of State advises third-party candidates for president that it will accept nomination papers with 5,000 signatures. However, it also warns candidates that this standard — which is much lower than the one prescribed in the state’s Election Code — is based on a court ruling that explicitly applies to the Constitution, Green, and Libertarian Parties.

“A voter or other interested party could file an objection to a candidate whose nomination papers contain only 5,000 signatures, which the state judiciary would need to resolve,” the agency warns.

The petition argues that Kennedy’s nominating papers fail to meet either standard. The filing alleges that the candidate filed 23,680 signature lines with “numerous ineligible signatures and defects.”

Two Pennsylvania voters are listed as the petitioners. However, according to a statement obtained by The Inquirer, Clear Choice Action is involved in the objection. The PAC has filed similar challenges in other states including New York and Illinois.

One of the lawyers who filed the petition referred questions to a Clear Choice Action representative, who did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Two separate challenges target the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates: Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia.

One petition challenges the eligibility of some of the party’s presidential electors. The other, filed by the same voters objecting to Kennedy, also targets the number of signatures filed.

Another challenge seeks to disqualify the entire slate for the ultraconservative Constitution Party, which is connected to the Christian right and based in Lancaster.