RFK Jr. he has signed up to run in Pennsylvania, where he could tip the scales

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. he filed paperwork Thursday to get on the ballot in Pennsylvania, a state where his base could rally support from mainstream candidates and tip the scales enough to influence the outcome.

Although Kennedy has little chance of winning the presidential election, his presence on the ballot could impact a close race. Race in Pennsylvania it will be especially close. President Joe Biden won the state in 2020 by just over 1 percentage point, and former President Donald Trump won the state in 2016 by just under 1 percentage point.

Recent The Philadelphia Inquirer/New York Times/Siena College poll found that 10% of registered voters support Kennedy (70), with a tie between Biden (81) and Trump (77).

” READ MORE: Here are the findings from the Inquirer/NYT/Siena poll.

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and prominent anti-vaccination activist, abandoned his Democratic primary challenge to Biden and announced his independent candidacy at an event in Philadelphia last year. Without the establishment party behind himmust ensure access to ballots state by statewhich requires collecting millions of signatures, which must be verified by election officials before his candidacy is approved.

Kennedy needs to collect 5,000 signatures registered voters in Pennsylvania to qualify to vote. He submitted his application six weeks before the August 1 deadline, when his documents could be challenged in court.

It’s unclear whether Kennedy could further reduce Biden’s or Trump’s chances. In NYT/Siena polls in all six swing states — including Pennsylvania, where The Inquirer was a partner — Kennedy voters were evenly split between Trump and Biden if forced to choose the primary candidate.

Democratic National Committee Both the Biden and Kennedy campaigns have already identified Kennedy as a potential threat and will likely question his eligibility to run in Pennsylvania.

Democrats believe Green Party candidate Jill Stein hurt Hillary Clinton’s chances against Trump in Pennsylvania in 2016. Stein won 49,941 votes in the state – more than the 44,292 votes by which Trump defeated Clinton.

” READ MORE: Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be on the ballot in Pennsylvania?

To ward off enthusiasm for Kennedy, In April, Biden and others held an event in North Philadelphia members of the Kennedy family who supported the president’s re-election.

The DNC did this too mobile billboards placed in places where Kennedy campaigned, criticizing him for soliciting donations from Trump donors.

On Friday, the DNC declined to comment on Kennedy’s latest achievement.

“We expect the 2024 election to be close and will be prepared for any eventuality, which will include ensuring that third-party independent candidates follow the rules,” DNC spokesman Matt Corridoni said last month. “We will also work to define Robert Kennedy and make sure voters know he is a spoiler in this race.”

The scope for filing a legal challenge will be relatively narrow because Pennsylvania counties will have to start sending out absentee ballots by mid-September.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.