RFK Jr’s new North Carolina ballot attempt 

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Last January, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rallied in front of a crowd of supporters in Raleigh.

His potential voting base traveled to Raleigh from all over the state as Kennedy was trying to get enough signatures to get on the ballot as an Independent candidate for president.

When asked about the amount of signatures needed, he and his staff initially said they needed around 70,000 fewer votes than the actual total set by state statute. The total is calculated by 1.5 percent of the total turnout in the previous statewide election.
      
Kennedy did not reach the 83,188 number needed by the March 5 deadline. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections website, two signatures were turned in and verified. In the meantime, Kennedy has created a new party called We the People.

“So failing at one he’s just trying to register a party, which is much less cumbersome in North Carolina,” said Meredith College political scientist David McLennan.

In this case We the People, with Kennedy at the helm, only needs 13,865 validated signatures by June 1 to be recognized as a party in North Carolina. It would also require a review and vote by the N.C. State Board of Elections.

While the party requirement is a much lower threshold than that of an individual, it’s still a massive undertaking.

“He has a lot of challenges. Name recognition is not one of his biggest challenges, but all of the other things that come along with running for president: party infrastructure in all 50 states. a campaign team on the ground, being able to raise money in all 50 states. Those are going to be his challenges,” said McLennan.

Most of the 50 states though don’t matter.

“If he got on the ballot in Alabama or Massachusetts it’s going to make no difference. There’s not enough potential to draw away from particular candidates. North Carolina can make a difference,” said McLennan.

It’s in the swing states that a campaign like Kennedy’s or the No Labels party can decide the next president. Recent polling shows the Biden-Trump match-up in North Carolina within three to five points.

“Which is pretty narrow in March before Election Day. You start adding a few more people in the mix and it just gives those people who are not totally in the Trump or Biden camp another option,” said McClennan.