Why is RFK Jr. still on the ballot in Illinois? – NBC Chicago

Scores of Illinois residents made their way to the polls Tuesday for the 2024 presidential election, pitting former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris against each other.

While third-party candidates such as Libertarian Chase Oliver and Green Jill Stein are on the ballot in many states, only Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is on the ballot alongside Trump and Harris in Illinois.

After initially pursuing the Democratic nomination, Kennedy Jr. switched his candidacy to Independent before eventually suspending his campaign and endorsing Trump in August.

While Kennedy Jr. moved to remove his name from the ballot in swing states where his votes have the potential to pull from Trump’s, he opted not to contest his placement on the ballot in states that are not expected to be competitive at the federal level, such as Illinois.

The Illinois Board of Elections certified the state’s presidential ballot in late August, removing Oliver and Stein’s candidacies, as their campaigns failed to receive the required number of signatures.

Though Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign, votes for him in Illinois will still count and will be listed in the state’s official results.

While Kennedy Jr. remains on the ballot in 31 states, his name was removed from the ballot in 19 other states.