Kanye West could be kicked from Illinois ballot after allegedly submitting nearly 2,000 ‘invalid’ signatures

Kanye West’s presidential ambitions have run into some red tape after Illinois elections officials took issue with his paperwork. The alleged oversight could cost the rapper his place on the state’s ballot.

West submitted 3,218 voter signatures as part of his candidacy filing, but 1,928 of them, or 60 percent, were deemed invalid, the Chicago Tribune reported. This means that he falls considerably short of the 2,500 signatures required to appear on the Illinois ballot.

The faulty petition could be suffering from a range of issues, including fake names, fake addresses, or something less devious such as illegible signatures.

The findings will be forwarded to an examiner who will make a recommendation on whether the eccentric musical artist and shoe designer should remain on the ballot. The Illinois State Board of Elections is expected to vote on the recommendation when it meets on August 21. 

West has faced an uphill battle to secure a spot on the state’s presidential ballot. Three challenges were filed against his candidacy in Illinois, with one of the complaints being tossed out last week. Aside from potential issues resulting from not having gathered enough legitimate signatures, he could also be excluded from the ballot for failing to submit the name of a running mate, which is required by the state’s election code.

One of the lawyers challenging West’s eligibility tweeted that the rapper “is virtually certain to be kicked off the ballot” in Illinois due to the issues with his petition.

Although being denied a place on the ballot would be a devastating setback for most presidential candidates, West has boasted that he could beat presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden using write-in votes.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!