Aside from keeping tabs out of sheer caution in an effort to know which friends in which states might need renewed reminders that supporting the presidential efforts of Kanye West is not only massively unhelpful to the artist himself but also particularly egregious amid all that's going on in 2020, there is nothing of value to be gained from giving the former prolific genius of art and music's campaign any space in your head.
Still, articles—like this one—will continue to be written and/or assigned due to the fact that it's Kanye West and the lessons we all should have learned with Trump in 2015/2016 appear to have fallen by the wayside.
The latest developments surrounding West's ill-advised and wholly reckless political dabbling, which—once again—should be ignored outright as often as possible in favor of ensuring one is ready to vote in the election this November—include word that West has now qualified to appear on the ballot in additional states (including Tennessee) as an independent candidate. Of course, one shouldn't take this qualification as any sort of sign that the campaign is built on anything resembling legitimacy, but I digress.
West, who seemingly remains a Trump fan and has been confirmed to have Trump supporters involved with his campaign, is certain to not appear on the ballot—as the Hillexplained earlier this week—in at least 25 states due to missing deadlines.
As things stand at the time of this writing, West has met ballot appearance qualifications in eight states. Efforts in other states, including Illinois and Ohio, have failed. Earlier this month, West was reported as having filed to appear on the ballot in Louisiana, with the Advocate reporting at the time that state officials did not immediately review the filing. However, unlike most states, Louisiana has no requirement for independent candidates to garner thousands of signatures. Instead, a $500 fee is required.
In addition to reports of West's campaign team being comprised of and/or assisted by people who seemingly have Trump's best interests at heart, and not West's or the country's, a notable example of questionable ballot tactics popped up thanks to the signatures West's team presented in New Jersey last month. The team ultimately withdrew their petition after an attorney brought into question hundreds of signatures deemed to be suspicious in nature.
And in Ohio, West—per a Billboard report—has sued after the Secretary of State determined he was unqualified to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate. The filing is against Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, with West's lawyers claiming it is "LaRose's duty" to accept any such petition unless a protest is filed against it and/or it violates state law.
Missed deadline areas include Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
Below you'll find a rundown of states where West has been confirmed to be appearing on the ballot:
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Vermont
- Utah
- Tennessee
- Minnesota
- Idaho
And for a list of the states where West has attempted a ballot appearance only to have said efforts fall apart, see below:
- Illinois
- Montana
- Missouri
- Ohio
- Wisconsin
- New Jersey
- West Virginia
These rundowns, of course, differ from claims made by West on Twitter earlier this month.
Anyway, make sure you're ready to not waste your vote by clicking here.
