Democrats in Texas are pushing to keep Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off the state’s ballot for the upcoming presidential election, citing a lack of valid petition signatures. Kennedy’s campaign submitted more than double the required signatures but an internal review found that 69% of them were invalid. Even if the remaining signatures were valid, Kennedy would still fall short of the necessary number. However, the Kennedy campaign has defended its submission, stating that an independent signature validation company verified the signatures.
The Texas Democratic Party is calling for the rejection of Kennedy’s application, saying that his campaign’s attempt to overwhelm the system with bad signatures shows a disregard for the rules. Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa highlighted that running as an independent in Texas requires following legal and transparent processes. Kennedy is facing similar ballot access challenges in other states as well.
To be valid, a signature must come from a registered Texan voter and meet specific criteria outlined in Texas election code. The voter also cannot have participated in a major party’s presidential primary this year. Kennedy’s campaign was requested to submit the required signatures by the statutory deadline, and if they fall short, the law requires the application to be rejected. The Secretary of State’s office has not commented on the matter, and a decision is pending.
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