MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin election officials decided Thursday to keep rapper Kanye West off the battleground state’s presidential ballot in November because his campaign turned in his nomination papers moments after the deadline.
West announced in July he’s running for president on a ticket he calls the “Birthday Party.” West has since been gathering signatures to get on the ballot in several states. Democrats allege that Republicans are pushing West’s candidacy in several swing states to siphon Black votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Wisconsin is expected to play a key role in deciding the election after President Donald Trump narrowly won the state in 2016.
A group of voters filed a complaint with the state Elections Commission earlier this month alleging that West campaign workers missed the 5 p.m. filing deadline on Aug. 4, the last day day for independent presidential candidates to submit the required 2,000 signatures from Wisconsin voters to get on the ballot.
West campaign attorney, Michael Curran, argued during a hearing before the commission that West campaign workers didn’t enter the commission’s building until 14 seconds after 5 p.m. on Aug. 5 but commission staff still accepted the papers, constituting a timely filing.
Commission staffer Cody Davies told the panel that the building was locked due to the coronavirus pandemic but he was waiting in the lobby to let filers in as 5 p.m. approached. He said West’s representatives called him at 4:57 p.m. and said they were three minutes away. He said he let them in 14 seconds after 5 p.m. and accompanied them on the elevator ride up to the commission’s offices. The group was still in the elevator 50 seconds past 5 p.m., he said.