News
January 21, 2025 | By Benjamin Yount
Policy Issues
Ballot Integrity

Wisconsin Republicans Introduce RFJ Jr. Act, to get Candidates off the Ballot

The Wisconsin Elections Commission at the time said once Kennedy was certified to run for president, there was only one way he could get his name off the ballot.

Act to Allow Candidates to Withdraw from Ballots

A pair of Republicans at the Wisconsin Capitol are making good on their promise to help candidates drop-off the ballot.

State Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard, and State Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, on Tuesday introduced what they are calling the RFK Jr. Act.

The idea is to allow candidates in Wisconsin to withdraw from the ballot, even after the candidates have been certified.

“I believe that you can’t legislate common sense. But this bill might change my mind. Life is unpredictable. Circumstances and situations can change in the blink of an eye. If a candidate for office cannot, or does not want to, continue their campaign, they should be allowed to make that decision and remove their name from the ballot,” Steffen said in a statement. “Again, that should be common sense.”

Robert Kennedy Jr. tried, and failed, to get off the Wisconsin ballot back in August.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission at the time said once Kennedy was certified to run for president, there was only one way he could get his name off the ballot.

“If you file nomination [papers] and qualify, you may not decline the nomination, and the name of that person shall appear upon the ballot, except in the case of the death of the person,” Wisconsin Elections Commission chairwoman Ann Jacobs said at the time.

Kennedy tried to argue in court that Wisconsin’s current ballot access law creates a double standard, but he lost that case in both Dane County court at the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Steffen said that’s why lawmakers need to act.

“The fact that a candidate who has suspended their campaign cannot stop their name from appearing on the ballot, unless they die, is nonsensical. Our current law increases voter confusion and fails to recognize real-world circumstances that may influence a candidate’s decision to continue their campaign. Most states have a process in place for these types of scenarios and it’s in the best interest of our voters to adopt such a pathway in Wisconsin,” Steffen added.

Steffen and Wanggaard’s legislation is out for sponsorship, so there’s no word when it could get its first hearing at the Capitol, or see its first vote.

There’s also no word on whether Gov. Evers would sign such a law. The governor has said for years that he will not sign any law that makes it harder to vote in the state.

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