On Saturday, April 13, Robert F. Kennedy held a campaign meeting in Iowa, in order to get on the ballot without the need for a petition. Iowa lets independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, get on the ballot if they have 500 voters at a meeting. The Kennedy meeting had 686 eligible voters, so he has essentially completed his ballot access work in that state. See this story.

The method is very seldom used. A few years ago the legislature increased the attendance requirement from 250 to 500.

At the Iowa event, Kennedy said he is no longer interested in the Libertarian nomination.

On Friday, April 12, the Third Circuit heard arguments in Kim v Hanlon, 24-1594. The judges are Kent Jordan (Bush Jr. appointee), Cheryl Ann Krause (Obama), and Arianna J. Freeman (Biden). This is the lawsuit over New Jersey’s ballot format in primaries. See this story. The judges seem inclined to agree with the U.S. District Court that the discriminatory ballot format is unconstitutional.

Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. supporters filed a petition to qualify the We the People Party in Hawaii. Kennedy created the party because the number of signatures for a new party in Hawaii is so much easier than the petition for an independent presidential candidacy.

The Hawaii State Elections office said the petition had enough valid signatures. But the Democratic Party challenged the party’s legal existence because it said two of the party’s officers are members of the Democratic Party. A hearing officer from the State Election Office conducted a hearing on that challenge on April 5. The two party officers testified that they are not members of the Democratic Party. Hawaii does not have registration by party. A decision is likely in a few weeks.