In the past week, independent candidate for President, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. collected the necessary amount of signatures to be featured on the ballot in eight additional states, including Alabama. In total, Kennedy is currently qualified in 42 states.

For Kennedy, getting on the ballot in most states across the country has been no small task since first entering the race.

“They forced us to bear this ballot access expense and organize a tremendous volunteer effort,” said Kennedy at a Tuesday press briefing. “It’s turned out to be a huge advantage in the upcoming election, as we now have more than 100,000 volunteers ready to get the vote out and win this election.”

Thank you Kennedy volunteers! The campaign has collected more signatures than any presidential candidate in American history, collecting more than 1 million signatures. We also announced today that we have collected all of the required signatures in 8 more states. #AmericaStrong https://t.co/tfY5IjJcLh pic.twitter.com/gkr5tDVhVx

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) July 31, 2024

Kennedy’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Nicole Shanahan claimed more than 50% of Americans now identify as Independents. “There has never been a better opportunity for a third-party candidate to have success, especially with a unity ticket,” Shanahan said. “We are here to unite the country.”

The states where Kennedy accrued the required amount of signatures to be on the ballot this week were: Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Massachusetts, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia.

Kennedy and Shanahan have gained the signatures needed for ballot access in 42 states, totaling 480 electoral votes, 89% of the 538 total electoral votes nationwide. It’s already officially on the ballot in 13 states — California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Alaska, Indiana, and Nebraska.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten