On Friday, a significant decision came from the North Carolina Court of Appeals to halt the distribution of absentee ballots. This pause is pending a suit brought forward by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who argues for his removal from the presidential ballot in that state.

Friday saw the court siding with Kennedy, temporarily holding off on a ruling made by a lower court just the day before. That ruling had dismissed Kennedy’s plea to be struck off the ballot.

The dispatch of absentee ballots in North Carolina was scheduled to initiate by midday Friday.

Berry nearing the deadline, Kennedy’s legal team sought an overturn of Wake County Superior Judge Rebecca Holt’s decision, made earlier the same day, which brushed aside the call for a preventive order against the State Board of Elections to exclude Kennedy’s name from being listed as the representative for the We the People Party, as covered by The Carolina Journal.

After ending his run for presidency last month and throwing his support behind the Republican contender Donald Trump, Kennedy has been persistent in his efforts to withdraw his name.

Providing a brief window of 24 hours for Kennedy to appeal, Holt deferred her ruling. Kennedy’s attorneys managed to submit the appeal paperwork shortly before 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

The lawyers representing Kennedy laid out that Kennedy had fulfilled all the necessary steps for his name’s removal from the ballot. They cautioned that upholding Thursday’s ruling could subject him to “irreparable harm and be denied his right to a meaningful appeal.”

Countering this, the legal representatives for the state election board pointed out that Kennedy’s political party had been in recent legal battles, up until Aug. 21, to ensure his listing on the ballot. Conversely, on Aug. 23, Kennedy announced a halt on his campaign, although not a complete withdrawal.

Additionally, Kennedy disclosed plans to withdraw his candidacy from around 10 key states to avoid potentially tilting the election results and encouraged his supporters not to vote for him, as stated by the state.

In response, the Board argued, “Plaintiff claims that the State Board should have known, based on this vague pronouncement, that he was requesting to have his name removed from North Carolina’s ballot.” They noted it wasn’t until Aug. 28, 2024, that Kennedy’s party officially requested his removal from the ballot in North Carolina.

In that interval, the Board had already finalized its ballot preparations, pointing out that according to Holt, Kennedy’s name staying on the ballot wouldn’t cause him any “zero practical, personal, or professional harm,” despite his efforts to stay on the ballot in other states.

The Board argued that acquiescing to Kennedy’s demand would entail substantial costs for the State and counties and would reduce the voting period by a minimum of two weeks,” the board remarked.

The case is now with a three-judge panel from the appellate court, though when a verdict will be issued remains undetermined.