Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets on ballot in his first state after meeting Utah’s signature requirement

Utah has become the first state to allow independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the ballot, election officials said.

The independent candidate has met the 1,000-signature requirement needed to have his name on the ballot. Utah was the first state in which his campaign submitted signatures, but Arizona may be next, Mr. Kennedy’s campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear said.

At a campaign event in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Mr. Kennedy criticized how hard the process was for a candidate who is not backed by a major political party. He said the requirements in certain states make it impossible to challenge the “chokehold” that Republicans and Democrats have on the country.

“This process is forcing us to build our army now,” he said. “And we’re going to have a better army on the street and in the trenches in November 2024.”

The environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist initially announced his campaign for president as a Democrat in April. He switched to the independent ticket in October.

— This report is based in part on wire service reports.