Democrats continue to fight to keep third-party candidates off the ballot

Vice President Kamala Harris is picking up where President Joe Biden left off in the race for the White House, and polls show her gaining ground ahead of the November election. Still, Democrats remain concerned about the influence of independent candidates on the election.

Polls show Harris has given a shot of adrenaline to Democratic voters who weren't exactly thrilled about the prospect of electing the 81-year-old Biden for another term, and she's doing better than the president in several key states and in demographics her party relies on for electoral victories.

Although Harris is giving her party a boost, some polls suggest the race is still close.

According to a recent Emerson College poll, about 49 percent of Pennsylvania voters support the former president, compared to 48 percent who say the same about Harris. Harris significantly increases her chances of defeating Trump if she wins the Keystone State. The poll shows that Trump's lead shrinks when third-party candidates are on the ballot.

As the election approaches, Democrats become more serious about weakening independent candidates.

The most recent example is a complaint by the Democratic National Committee seeking to remove Green Party candidate Jill Stein from the ballot in the state of Wisconsin.

Under state law, those who nominate electors to the Green Party convention must include state officials, legislators and judges, among others. Candidates for state Congress may also participate. The complaint states that because the Green Party has no one eligible to serve as its nominator, it cannot legally nominate a slate of electors.

Whatever happens with the complaint could change the outcome of the election. Four of the last six presidential elections in Wisconsin have been decided by 5,700 to 23,000 votes. Stein is expected to be officially named her party's nominee at the convention.

Democrats filed a similar lawsuit in Nevada, but a state judge ruled earlier this week that the Green Party candidate should be allowed to appear on the ballot. The ruling opens the door for the third party to steal votes from Harris in the Sagebrush State, another state considered crucial to a Democratic victory in November.

As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tries to gain access to the ballot in all 50 states, the Democratic Party is not making it easy for him. The outsider is facing legal challenges in five states – Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Delaware and New Jersey.

His opponents believe that Kennedy will influence the election in Trump's favor and are therefore filing complaints in all areas.

“RFK Jr. was recruited as a candidate by MAGA Republicans; he is backed by Trump's biggest donor; and his own campaign staff has said their goal is to harm President Biden,” Matt Corridoni, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, told CBS News.

Recent opinion polls show Kennedy losing some ground in the race while Harris is gaining support.

Kennedy also reached out to Harris' campaign through intermediaries to support the vice president in exchange for a role in her administration, but he was sidelined, the Washington Post reported earlier this week. He called the decision a serious strategic error and told reporters the race for the White House would be “very close.”

In an interview this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he had a similar experience during his 2020 presidential bid. Sanders, who ran as a Democrat, said he was pressured to abandon his campaign.

“We won the first three primaries, and then the establishment got very, very nervous … and they said, 'Hey, it would be a good idea if you dropped out,'” Sanders said.

He claimed that the party had convinced other candidates to drop out of the race and support then-presidential candidate Biden, causing him to lose support.

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