RFK Jr. off North Carolina presidential ballot, state Supreme Court rules

• Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must be removed from the North Carolina ballot, the state's Supreme Court ruled.
• RFK Jr.'s absence may make a difference in the national presidential election due to North Carolina's 16 Electoral College votes.
• Democratic nominee Kamala Harris leads Republican nominee Donald Trump in a six-candidate race in North Carolina, but Trump polls better than her in a head-to-head matchup.

Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name must be removed from North Carolina's November ballot, the state's Supreme Court ordered.

The ruling Monday night may help Republican nominee Donald Trump against the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the key battleground state, and his chances in the national election.

Trump has a 0.1-percentage-point edge over Harris in a head-to-head matchup in North Carolina, according to recent polling averages from RealClearPolling. In a six-candidate race, Harris leads Trump by a 0.4-percentage point margin in the state.

North Carolina awards 16 Electoral College votes to the winner of the presidential race, a total that could provide the margin of victory in the national election.

The 4-3 decision by North Carolina's high court came hours after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Kennedy's name had to stay on that state's ballot over his objections.

Kennedy, who endorsed Trump after suspending his bid for the White House on Aug. 23, said he would remove his name from ballots in states where Trump performed better in head-to-head races against Harris.

"Our polling consistently showed that by staying on the ballot in the battleground states, I would likely hand the election over to the Democrats," said