Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on Arkansas ballot

Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gives remarks at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Aug. 23, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. Kennedy announced that he was suspending his presidential campaign and supporting the Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain as one of the options for president on Arkansans’ November ballot, even though he suspended his campaign last week.

Kennedy, 70, on Friday announced he would suspend his presidential bid, careful to clarify that he is not terminating his campaign. He said he would remove his name from the ballot in 10 unspecified battleground states, “where my presence would be a spoiler.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspends his presidential bid, backs Trump

Arkansas, where the majority of residents have voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the turn of the century, is not one of Kennedy’s 10 picks.

Chris Powell, a spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office, confirmed Wednesday that Kennedy and his running mate would remain on the ballot and said “no formal withdrawal was submitted to us prior to the August 22nd ballot certification deadline (or since).”

The secretary of state’s office finalizes county ballots on Aug. 22, which means no changes can be made afterward. Kennedy made his public announcement on Aug. 23.

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist, turned in a sufficient number of signatures from registered Arkansas voters earlier this month. The secretary of state’s office verified more than 10,000 signatures, double the required amount, an election official told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette .

“…Per Arkansas law, votes for RFK will be counted as with any other candidate,” Powell said. “We have had candidates withdraw before, but the law requires that be done before the ballot is certified.”

Powell said Arkansas voters are “free to cast their vote to whoever they choose,” and he could not predict any impact Kennedy’s presence on the ballot might have.

Kennedy is the son of former U.S. Sen. and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX