Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be on presidential ballot in South Carolina as third party candidate

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Friday that he has qualified to be on the presidential ballot in South Carolina in November but it won’t be as an independent.

The Alliance Party of South Carolina chose Kennedy as their party’s nominee for president, the campaign said Friday.

“I proudly accept the Alliance Party’s nomination for president of the United States,” Kennedy said. “Their leadership and members have demonstrated an inspiring commitment to values that revitalize our representative democracy.”

The chair for the Alliance Party did not immediately return a request for comment.

Officials with the South Carolina Election Commission said Kennedy submitted a petition in March, seeking ballot access an as independent candidate. That process requires a candidate to submit 10,000 signatures from active, registered voters.

But, Kennedy will now only appear on the ballot under the Alliance Party label as fusion voting — in which more than one political party nominates the same candidate on the ballot — is prohibited in the state.

Kennedy and his vice presidential pick, Nicole Shanahan, have also gained access to the ballot in California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.

The campaign said it has also collected enough signatures for the ballot in Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Ohio.

Polling averages from Decision Desk HQ/The Hill show Kennedy with 8% support in a hypothetical three-way matchup with President Biden and former President Trump.