MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Staff for the Wisconsin Elections Commission is recommending that rapper Kanye West be kept off the battleground state’s presidential ballot in November because he missed a deadline to submit nomination papers.
The staff determined Tuesday that West and running mate Michelle Tidball missed a 5 p.m. deadline on Aug. 5, the last day for independent presidential candidates to submit the required 2,000 signatures of Wisconsin voters to get on the ballot.
West is trying to get on Wisconsin’s ballot as a third-party candidate.
The commission meets Thursday and will decide if West gets on the ballot. Democrats allege that Republicans are pushing West’s candidacy in several states to siphon votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
According to the Associated Press, West has also submitted signatures in Minnesota. Utah and Arkansas have determined he qualifies as a presidential candidate. His ballot petition in New Jersey failed.
West announced his candidacy on July 4, saying in a tweet: “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION”
Elon Musk and Mark Cuban were among those supporting Kanye.
Just over a week later, reports surfaced that West was dropping out of the 2020 presidential race. According to New York Magazine’s The Intelligencer, an adviser hired by West, Steve Kramer, said “he’s out.”
A few days later, West held a rally in South Carolina where he criticized Harriet Tubman and touched on topics from abortion and religion to international trade and licensing deals.
Back in 2015, West announced at the MTV VMA Awards he would launch a presidential race for 2020. In January of 2019, the rapper teased a 2024 bid.
WFRV Local 5 contributed to this story.
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