Akin has until Tuesday to withdraw name from ballot.
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Akin has until Tuesday to withdraw name from ballot.

Date: September 20, 2012
By: Eric Stoyanov
State Capitol Bureau

JEFFERSON CITY - The deadline for Todd Akin to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race is quickly approaching.

Akin, as well as any other candidate, has until Sept. 25 to remove his name from the ballot by court order, which is only three days after military ballots are sent out. After the Sept. 22 deadline, the costs associated with withdrawing from the race would increase substantially since ballots sent overseas cannot be changed. Should Akin withdraw, he would be responsible for repaying the costs from the printing of ballots. The military ballots would also not be counted if Akin withdraws.

"Well there's no way to change (the military ballots), so unfortunately, if something would change on the ballot, those voters would just be simply disenfranchised," said Stacie Temple, the Secretary of State's communications director.

Akin's withdrawal would also create a problem for the Republican Party. Republicans would be forced to find a new candidate in a short period of time.

"If a candidate withdraws on Sept. 25 or prior to that deadline, then the candidates party nominating committee would have until the fourth Friday before the election, which happens to be October 12, to elect a new nominee," Temple said.

Republicans began to distance themselves from Akin after his controversial comments on rape and abortion, with some calling for Akin to drop out of the race. This pressure came from top Republicans, such as presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, as well as conservative groups, such as Crossroads GPS and the National Republican Senatorial Campaign, which have pulled advertising support for Akin from Missouri.

Despite widespread pressure from the national party, Akin has received some Republican support from Mike Huckabee and, most recently, former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich plans to visit the St. Louis area on Monday to help raise money for Akin.

"Newt understands that Missouri -- or should I say that the Republicans -- really don't have a plan to win the majority unless they can actually win Missouri," Akin campaign adviser Rick Tyler said. Tyler served as Gingrich's press secretary for 13 years.

Akin and his staff have repeatedly said that he will not withdraw from the race .

"Todd is not going to drop out, he's never going to drop out, it's not going to happen," Tyler said. "The deadline is meaningless to us because Todd has always intended to stay in the race."