Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign announced Monday that it officially submitted 13,000 signatures to Ohio election officials in an effort to formally gain ballot access in the Buckeye State for the November 5 presidential election.
Last Friday, the candidate’s campaign submitted the 13,000 signatures to election officials in Columbus.
Today was a really exciting campaign day — we submitted ballot access signatures in NINE STATES! Team Kennedy volunteers turned in signatures in Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers… pic.twitter.com/tQL5OD2vcE
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) July 29, 2024
The 13,000 signatures from registered Ohio voters submitted by Kennedy’s campaign is more than double of the 5,000 required for candidates to gain ballot access in Ohio.
“Special thanks to our volunteers who took time from their busy lives to ensure Kennedy is on the ballot in November,” Kennedy’s state director for Ohio, Elizabeth Frost, said in a statement. “We couldn’t have done it without their exceptional contributions.”
The number of signatures required for candidates to gain ballot access vary by state, as 39 states require 10,000 or fewer signatures while California, Florida, and Texas require more than 100,000 signatures.
Kennedy’s campaign has so far collected the signatures needed for ballot access in 34 states.
Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, are officially on the ballot in 13 states – California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Alaska, Indiana, and Nebraska.
In addition to Ohio, Kennedy’s campaign has officially submitted enough signatures from registered voters to election officials in 18 other states – Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Kennedy’s campaign collected enough signatures for ballot access in Florida and New Hampshire but has yet to officially submit the signatures to election officials.
Green Party candidate Jill Stein has also submitted enough signatures, totaling 11,500, from registered voters to gain ballot access in the Buckeye State and is awaiting certification confirmation by the state’s election officials.
The deadline for a candidate to submit enough signatures for ballot access in Ohio is August 7.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr” and “Ballot Petition Signatures” by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.