Despite its statement to the contrary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s We the People party does not qualify for the ballot in Mississippi, at least not yet.

The party sent out a press release on June 17 claiming otherwise. 

Shortly after that went out, the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office released a statement explaining that the We the People Party still had to finish submitting paperwork.

“Currently, the Secretary of State’s Office has not received the respective documents and fees necessary for any presidential candidate to appear on the general election ballot,” according to the June 20 statement.

The original press release claimed that “In January, Kennedy supporters filed the necessary paperwork to form the new political party in Mississippi.” The secretary of state’s office said that the party started filing in January but had yet to finish.

Last October, Kennedy  left the Democratic Party and continued his presidential campaign as an independent. He founded the We the People Party to run in states where party candidates needed fewer signatures to get on the ballot.

According to the press release, Kennedy is officially on the ballot in at least eight states: Michigan, Utah, California, Delaware, Oklahoma, Texas, Hawaii, and South Carolina. 

To get their names on the ballot, presidential candidates must follow requirements laid out in ballot access laws that vary by state.

In Mississippi, independent and party presidential candidates have to submit all required paperwork and fees by Sept. 6, 2024.

According to the secretary of state’s website, party candidates must submit a certificate of nomination, a $2,500 fee, and a list of six qualified electors. Independent candidates must submit all of that and a petition with 1,000 signatures. 

Mississippi Today reached out to the Kennedy campaign’s press contact, Stephanie Spear. She responded in an email that“Your request for comment is under consideration and your deadline is noted. If the campaign has a response, we will let you know.”

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