Kanye West sues to get on presidential ballot in West Virginia

CHARLESTOn, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Rapper turned 2020 presidential candidate Kanye West has filed a lawsuit against West Virginia Secretary of State, Mac Warner, after being told his bid to get on the ballot for president in the 2020 General Election came up short on qualified signatures in the Mountain State.

West, who is running for President of the United States as an independent candidate not affiliated with any major party, filed his West Virginia Statement of Candidacy for the 2020 General Election on August 3, 2020.

In order to qualify for the General Election ballot in West Virginia, West needed 7,144 signatures from registered voters.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, West submitted more than 14,000 signatures by the deadline but more than 7,000 of his petition signatures were invalidated by the various County Clerks, leaving him with a total of 6,383 valid petition signatures – 761 signatures shy of the requirement to gain access to the ballot.

In the 8-page suit West’s attorneys say he had “no opportunity to challenge the invalidation of the submitted nomination certificates and was deprived of any chance to be heard or appeal the decision made by the West Virginia Secretary of State prior to the drawing for order of names appearing on the 2020 General Election ballot.”

The suit claims the actions taken against West are in “violation of his rights as protected by both the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.”

The suit asks for an emergency hearing date and the issue of a preliminary injunction to place West and his running mate, Ms. Michelle Tidball, on the 2020 General Election Presidential ballot in West Virginia as independent candidates for President and Vice President.

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