**Supreme Court Denies Emergency Appeal to Remove Kennedy Jr. from Ballot in Battleground States**

The Supreme Court has turned down an urgent request to take Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off the presidential ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan. Kennedy, who abandoned his independent campaign to support Republican Donald Trump, argued that his continued presence on the ballot infringed upon his First Amendment rights. However, both Michigan and Wisconsin argued that removing his name at this late stage, with early voting already in progress, was not feasible.

The Supreme Court did not provide specific reasons for rejecting Kennedy's appeal, which aligns with common practice. In the Michigan case, Justice Neil Gorsuch publicly dissented, pointing to lower court judges who believed that Kennedy’s initial request for removal was not unreasonably timed.

Kennedy's presence as an independent candidate in swing states is significant due to the tight presidential race. Although the Supreme Court previously rejected Kennedy's effort to remain on the ballot in New York, the state is not considered crucial in the contest between Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris. Kennedy has been actively seeking to remove his name from ballots in seven key swing states following his endorsement of Trump, with Wisconsin and Michigan being the last two states where his name was expected to appear.

In Michigan, Kennedy had initially succeeded at the appeals court level. Despite this, subsequent courts concluded that he couldn't withdraw as the Natural Law Party candidate, as the party wanted him to remain on the ballot. Justice Gorsuch's dissent also referenced lower court judges' opinions that the timing of Kennedy’s original removal request should not have precluded its approval.

In Wisconsin, the courts ruled that once a candidate files qualified nomination papers, they must remain on the ballot unless they pass away. The court also found that a proposed plan to cover Kennedy's name with stickers was impractical.

These developments underscore the complexities and legal hurdles that candidates face when attempting to modify ballot statuses close to an election, especially in tightly contested swing states.