Kanye West Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Federal Judge Denies Latest Attempt To Put Kanye On W.Va. Ballots

A federal judge on Monday denied the latest attempt from rapper Kanye West to make the Mountain State’s ballot this November.

West, who announced his run for U.S. president via Twitter in July, sued Secretary of State Mac Warner in August after election officials rejected his post-primary effort to join the ballot.

West and others running for office, following the June 9 primary, are required by state law to gather signatures from at least 1 percent of the number of people who cast ballots for their desired seat in the last general election. For the governor’s race this year that’s 7,144 names.

Warner’s office reported that it found more than half of the 15,000 signatures West submitted were not valid, either because they weren’t linked to registered voters or they were illegible.

In West’s complaint from Aug. 28, he asked that U.S. District Judge Irene Berger require that his name be placed on the ballot with his running mate Michelle Tidball, who Forbes reported is a biblical life coach from Cody, Wyoming where West is registered.

U.S. District Judge Irene Berger noted that West “submitted all of his signatures on the absolute deadline for filing,” leaving him “without adequate time to remedy invalidation and submit additional signatures to cure the deficit.”

West has sued and lost similar bids in Wisconsin and Ohio.

In late August, outgoing state Del. Marshall Wilson, an independent from Berkeley County, also sued Warner’s office after falling short of the necessary signature count.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Johnston rejected Wilson’s request that the secretary of state’s office extend the post-primary filing deadline, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Wilson is encouraging his supporters to vote for him as a write-in candidate.

West’s lead attorney in Charleston, J. Mark Adkins with Bowles Rice, did not respond to a request for comment.

Communications director Mike Queen said that Warner’s office had nothing to add on Monday, outside of the judge’s most recent order.

Emily Allen is a Report for America corps member.

Kanye West Sues To Be Listed On West Virginia Ballot

Rapper Kanye West has sued the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office after being told his bid to get on the ballot for president came up short on qualified signatures.

Secretary of State Mac Warner’s office told news outlets last month that West needed 7,144 signatures from registered voters in West Virginia. West submitted 15,000 signatures, but only 6,383 were confirmed, according to Secretary of State spokesperson Mike Queen.

The lawsuit says West did not have a chance to challenge that decision before a drawing for order of names appearing on the ballot, WSAZ-TV reported Monday. The lawsuit requests an emergency hearing date and a ruling that would allow his name to be listed.

West announced a presidential bid in July, saying he’s seeking the nation’s highest office on a ticket he calls the “Birthday Party.”

West has since been gathering signatures to get on the ballot in several states.

West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office Rejects Kanye West’s Certificate Of Candidacy

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Rapper Kanye West will not be on the ballot in West Virginia in the race for president.

West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner’s office told West Virginia Public Broadcasting Friday that West’s third-party run did not gather enough qualifying signatures of voters to support his candidacy, despite turning in more than double the amount of needed signatures.

That news came shortly after West tweeted Friday, claiming that he had secured access to the ballot in a number of states, including West Virginia.

West needed qualifying 7,144 signatures in West Virginia — or one percent of the total number of votes cast in the state for the same office in the last election — to make his way onto the ballot.

Secretary of State communications director Mike Queen said of the roughly 15,000 signatures West’s campaign turned in, only 13,865 were legible.

Of those, only 6,383 were confirmed to be registered voters in West Virginia.

Queen said there are three reasons that the gathered signatures did not qualify towards West’s candidacy. He said it could have been that they were not registered to vote in West Virginia, that their given address did not match voter registration records, or that the name was not registered to vote in any state.

West’s campaign delivered the signatures to the Secretary of State’s office late on the night of Monday, Aug. 3 — just ahead of a deadline to submit the paperwork.

Other states have also rejected West’s bid, including Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio.

Del. Marshall Wilson, I-Berkeley, is attempting to run for governor as an independent and has filed a federal lawsuit arguing for additional time to collect needed signatures because of the ongoing pandemic. A hearing on the case will be held Monday, Aug. 24.

It is unclear if West will attempt to join Wilson’s lawsuit.

According to state law, the Secretary of State’s office must certify the ballot on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Kanye West Submits Paperwork To Get On The Ballot For President In West Virginia

Rapper Kanye West officially submitted paperwork to get on West Virginia’s ballot as a candidate for president of the United States — just ahead of a Monday night deadline.

West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner’s office said Tuesday that representatives for West delivered 15,000 signatures late Monday as part of the process to get a third-party candidate’s name on the November ballot. He also filed the required certificate of candidacy.

State election law requires an independent candidate to provide signatures of one percent of the total vote cast in the previous election for the same office — or in this case, 7,300 signatures — from registered voters. The Secretary of State’s office says it is in the process of validating the signatures through county clerks.

West launched a late, third-party bid for the Oval Office when he announced his candidacy on July 4, 2020 on Twitter.

“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 [emoji of U.S. Flag]! #2020VISION,” he wrote.

Citing West’s erratic behavior such as falsely stating that abolitionist Harriet Tubman did not free slaves, his wife Kim Kardashian has recently made social media posts about her husband’s bipolar diagnosis.

Kardashian has asked for “compassion and empathy” for the rapper.

West has worked to meet each state’s requirements to run in the 2020 election. To date, he has only gained access to the ballot in Oklahoma and did not meet deadlines or requirements in several other states.

'A Change of Tune' Interviews Coyotes in Boxes

This week, “A Change of Tune” host Joni Deutsch interviews Kyle Baughman (drums, vocals) and Steve Holland (vocals, bass) from the indie rock band Coyotes in Boxes. The band is currently based in Nashville, but these Box-loving Coyotes still have a fond place in their heart for their alma mater (Marshall University), their hometown musical heroes (Sly Roosevelt, Tyler Childers, Qiet), and their home state (West Virginia). Check out the interview below to hear more about Coyotes in Boxes’ new record, the band’s West Virginia roots, and why they think animal imagery reflects their music. If you’re a fan of rhythm-based alternative rock in the same vein as Manchester Orchestra, this interview and music are recommended for you.

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Coyotes in Boxes turn the tables and interview Joni about Kanye West and Jay-Z.

Coyotes in Boxes just released “Yowler” this past August. You can see the band perform at the Huntington Music & Arts Festival preshow on September 26 at the Heritage Station. If you’re in the mood for great (and local) live music, head on over to A Change of Tune’s Facebook to find out how you can win tickets to the Huntington Music & Arts Festival. Otherwise, you can hear Coyotes in Boxes’ new music on Joni Deutsch’s “A Change of Tune” this Saturday at 10 PM EST on West Virginia Public Radio.

'A Change of Tune' Interviews New God

This week, “A Change of Tune” host Joni Deutsch interviews Petersburg-native Kenny Tompkins about New God, Tompkins’ Baltimore-based art pop band that includes his very own brother, Curt Tompkins. The interview veers into topics as diverse as New God’s music, the future of youth in West Virginia, and the confusion over the band’s name and a popular Kanye West song. If you’re a fan of music that invokes the breezy, lo-fi catchiness of The Beach Boys, this interview and band are recommended for you.

New God just released the lyric video for their song “Ocean Hum,” and the band will be back on tour this fall. For more band news, make sure to check out New God’s website and Facebook. You can listen to the band’s new music on Joni Deutsch’s “A Change of Tune” this Saturday at 10 PM EST on West Virginia Public Radio.