Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed his intention to compete in the upcoming debate scheduled by CNN between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Kennedy initially accused them of colluding against him, but later decided to participate in the debate instead. However, the main challenge for Kennedy’s campaign is to quickly secure enough state ballots by mid-June to meet the debate criteria. This requirement includes being on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency.
Kennedy’s campaign, which has aimed to be on all 50 state ballots before Election Day, has accelerated its timeline due to the debate criteria. The campaign is working on gathering and turning in petition signatures ahead of schedule with the help of a fresh cash infusion from Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, who donated $8 million to meet the ballot access budget. The campaign is also in discussions with CNN regarding the debate on June 27 in Atlanta, but further details of the conversation were not disclosed.
While Biden and Trump have already agreed to participate in CNN’s debate, Kennedy is still navigating his ballot-access efforts with various state deadlines impacting his ability to secure a spot on 50 state ballots. Unlike Biden and Trump, who are presumptive nominees, Kennedy is yet to formally secure his party nomination and ballot position at the conventions. As a result, Kennedy faces a challenging task in quickly securing ballot access in multiple states.
The Commission on Presidential Debates’ co-chair, Frank Fahrenkopf, suggested that Kennedy may consider legal action against CNN over the debate criteria, which include a requirement of at least 15% support in four qualifying national polls. Balancing the polling element with the ballot access hurdle adds complexity to Kennedy’s campaign. In states like Arizona and New Hampshire, the filing window for independent candidates to submit petition signatures does not align with the June debate date.
Kennedy’s progress in securing ballot access is evident in six states, including California and Michigan, where he was nominated by third-party groups. However, challenges may arise in the form of signature verification processes in other states, potentially delaying Kennedy’s official ballot status. With the time constraint of the June debate, Kennedy must navigate the signature gathering and verification process efficiently to meet the debate criteria and ensure his participation in the upcoming event.
