AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Democrats claim Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "failed miserably" to get on the state's ballot.
In May, Kennedy posted photos on social media of his team turning in 245,572 signatures at the Texas Secretary of State's Office to get on the ballot.
However, in a letter obtained by KVUE that was sent to Secretary Jane Nelson's office, the Texas Democratic Party's voter protection director claimed Kennedy "failed to submit the statutorily required number of signatures to qualify for the November 2024 General Election ballot."
An internal review of the signatures by Democrats allegedly found that 69% of the first 245,000 signatures were invalid. Democrats have also challenged Kennedy's quest to appear on ballots in Delaware, Georgia, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey and New York.
Kennedy needed 113,151 signatures to appear on the state's ballot. Democrats say that even if the remaining signatures are all valid, he would still be short by about 37,000 signatures.
KVUE reached out to the Texas Secretary of State's Office but were told they could not comment publicly on the process.
Statement from Texas Democrats
Former Cameron County judge and current Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa sent KVUE the following statement:
"Seeking election as an independent candidate takes work in our state and we believe it is in the best interest of Democracy that people make it onto the ballot in legal and transparent ways. We are confident that the people of Texas share that value.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s attempt to overwhelm the system with bad signatures is just another example of his campaign’s disregard for the rules. The vast majority, seventy percent, of those signatures failed miserably to meet the basic criteria outlined in Texas election code and we urge the Secretary of State’s office to reject the campaign’s application."
Kennedy's campaign responds
"Our campaign collected a record-breaking 245,000 signatures in Texas, the most that any independent candidate has ever submitted. Our independent signature validation company thoroughly reviewed them and confirmed that we have more than enough to secure a place on the Texas ballot. We have a perfect record of defeating DNC challenges and look forward to doing the same in Texas."
What are the requirements for petition signatures in Texas?
According to the Texas Election Code, in addition to the signatures, the petition must:
- Include the voter's printed name
- Include either the voter's date of birth or the voter registration number and county of registration
- List the voter's residence address
- Include the date of the signing
- Be from a registered Texas voter or a voter who has received a registration certificate that will become effective by Election Day