The North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name must be removed from state ballots for the upcoming presidential election, a decision that will force counties to reprint millions of ballots. The 4-3 ruling, handed down Monday, rejected an appeal from the state Board of Elections and could delay the mailing of absentee ballots, which were scheduled to go out this week.

The ruling comes after Kennedy suspended his independent presidential bid on August 23 and endorsed former President Donald Trump. Despite his withdrawal, over 2.9 million ballots had already been printed with his name, according to the state Board of Elections. The cost to remove Kennedy’s name and reprint the ballots will total around $1 million, to be covered by county governments.

Supreme Court Justice Trey Allen, writing for the majority, emphasized the importance of protecting voters from mistakenly casting ballots for a candidate no longer in the race. He criticized Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell for not halting ballot printing when Kennedy announced his withdrawal.

"We acknowledge that expediting the process of printing new ballots will require considerable time and effort by our election officials and significant expense to the state," Allen wrote. "But that is a price the North Carolina Constitution expects us to incur to protect voters’ fundamental right to vote their conscience and have that vote count."

The order is expected to delay absentee voting by nearly two weeks, as counties must now reprint ballots. The state may seek a waiver from the September 21 federal deadline for mailing ballots to overseas and military voters, according to Board spokesman Patrick Gannon.

Kennedy initially fought to have his name placed on the North Carolina ballot, founding the "We the People" party to gain easier ballot access. The state Board of Elections certified the party, and a Superior Court judge ruled in August that Kennedy’s name should remain. However, after Kennedy’s decision to suspend his campaign and withdraw from competitive states, he requested his name be removed.

In a dissenting opinion, Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs argued that Kennedy should not be allowed to unilaterally remove his name so close to the election, calling the decision an unnecessary burden on the state. "Elections—the cornerstone of our democracy—are not games or exercises in ego-stroking," Riggs wrote.

Kennedy’s withdrawal and endorsement of Trump have complicated his standing on ballots nationwide. In Michigan, the state’s Supreme Court ruled the same day that Kennedy’s name must remain on the ballot, while Kennedy continues to challenge ballot inclusion in Wisconsin and other battleground states.