Since last Saturday, independent campaigners have set up shop around the Illini Union and the Main Quad in support of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Using the slogan “Cancel Student Debt,” they have been attempting to earn student signatures to bring Kennedy closer to having his name on Illinois’ presidential ballot in November. However, Kennedy’s name is nowhere to be found on the booth’s signage.
“We need a million signatures across 50 states,” Kennedy said in a recent social media post. “We are establishing a huge grassroots effort to accomplish that.”
The campaign effort on campus, simply a table and two hired contractors, is fueled primarily by Kennedy’s promise to eliminate all $1.77 trillion of student debt and his passion for marijuana legalization.
In Illinois, Kennedy will need 25,000 official signatures to be considered a candidate. The campaign table has seen success, accumulating over 100 signatures in each four to seven-hour shift over the past seven days.
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Kennedy has solidified his name on nine state ballots as of today, adding himself to Michigan’s just this Thursday.
Kennedy formed the independent political party “We The People” in January to obtain ballot access. In general, his favorability stems from his independence and relatively depolarizing features.
His addition to state ballots raises concerns for presumed front-runners, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who struggle to gain a strong majority in battleground states like Michigan. His presence on these ballots could prove spoiling as the race between the two becomes neck-and-neck, making every state count.
