(The Center Square) – Voters in Wisconsin will see several names on their presidential ballots this fall.
The state’s Elections Commission on Tuesday approved Jill Stein, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Cornel West and a handful of other independent candidates for the November ballot.
Stein’s place on the ballot was essentially sealed when the Wisconsin Supreme Court shot down a request from the Democratic National Committee to keep her off.
WEC placed Stein on the 2016 ballot in Wisconsin but kept her off in 2020 because of a paperwork issue.
Most of the debate at Tuesday’s meeting was about Kennedy’s place on the ballot.
Commissioner Don Mills said it “made sense” to keep Kennedy off the ballot after he ended his campaign last week.
But Elections Commission chair Ann Jacobs said Wisconsin law doesn’t allow for candidates to withdraw after the deadline.
“The statute literally says, if you file for nomination and qualify, you may not decline the nomination. And that name of that person shall appear upon the ballot, except in the case of the death of the person,” Jacobs explained. “The only way he gets to not be on the ballot, is to up and die.”
Jacobs had questions about West’s paperwork, but ultimately the Elections Commission decided to allow him on the ballot as well.
That means, for the November election, Wisconsin ballots will include:
● Kamala Harris and Tim Walz with the Democratic Party
● Donald Trump and JD Vance with the Republican Party
● Randall Terry and Stephen Broden with the Constitution Party
● Chase Russell Oliver and Mike ter Maat with the Libertarian Party
● Jill Stein and Butch Ware with the Wisconsin Green Party
● Cornel West and Melina Abdullah with the Justice For All Party
● Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia with the Party for Socialism and Liberation
● Robert F. Kennedy and Nicole Shanahan with the We The People Party
Final November ballots are due to Wisconsin’s local election managers by Sept. 19 in order to be sent to voters in time for absentee voting to begin.
