Wisconsin Enacts New Law Allowing Candidates to Withdraw from Ballots

Mon Nov 03 2025 08:26:11 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Governor Tony Evers signs a bipartisan bill permitting candidates to remove their names from election ballots, addressing issues highlighted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign.

Wisconsin now allows candidates for state and federal offices to withdraw their names from election ballots, a significant change from the previous law that only permitted removal in the event of death. This legislation was prompted by concerns raised during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent independent presidential campaign. While independents can remove themselves, the law does not apply to major party candidates. To withdraw, candidates must submit a sworn statement along with a nominal fee to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's Democratic governor, Tony Evers, signed a bipartisan bill into law on Friday that provides candidates the right to withdraw their names from ballots. This legislative change responds directly to issues that arose during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. Previously, Wisconsin law only allowed a certified candidate’s name to be removed from the ballot in the case of their death.

Kennedy, who ran as an independent, sought to have his name removed from ballots in Wisconsin and several other key states after he ended his campaign and endorsed Republican President Donald Trump in late August 2024. He successfully managed to withdraw from ballots in Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada but was unable to do so in Michigan and Wisconsin due to the restrictive nature of state laws.

Wisconsin's prior regulations were noted to be among the most stringent in the United States, a detail emphasized by the National Conference of State Legislatures. The new law creates a pathway for independent candidates like Kennedy to rescind their names effectively. To do so, a candidate must file a sworn statement with the Wisconsin Elections Commission and pay a nominal fee.

Governor Evers signed the measure without additional comment. Major party candidates, however, remain exempt from this provision due to the particular ways they are nominated and selected. This new law marks a critical shift in the electoral process in Wisconsin, allowing for greater flexibility and responsiveness in candidate nominations.

Despite his attempt to withdraw, Kennedy ended up receiving around 0.5% of the total vote in both Wisconsin and Michigan during the 2024 election. Post-election, he was appointed as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Trump's administration.