Maine election officials are hearing arguments from voters challenging the validity of signatures gathered by independent presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West to appear on the state’s ballot in November. A group led by allies of President Biden is reportedly behind the challenges to prevent a potential third-party spoiler in the tight presidential race. Kennedy and West had already qualified for the ballot with over 4,000 valid signatures each, but challengers claim that many signatures do not meet state requirements. The challenges include accusations of submitting too many signatures, signatures from unregistered voters, missing notary stamps, and incorrect addresses. Both candidates face multiple challenges to their candidacy with allegations of exceeding the signature limit and misleading voters about the purpose of the petitions. Kennedy and West are running as independents in an election where their impact in Maine, which awards Electoral College votes based on congressional districts, remains uncertain. A recent poll showed 4% of Maine respondents planned to vote for Kennedy and 1% for West. Kennedy’s campaign did not respond to questions about the challenges, while West’s spokesperson dismissed them as attempts to distract and divide. The outcome of the challenges will determine whether Kennedy and West’s names appear on Maine’s ballot in November.
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Photo credit www.centralmaine.com
Opponents aim to remove RFK Jr. and Cornel West from Maine’s presidential ballot
