Wisconsin Elections Commission vote to keep Kanye West off state's presidential ballot

Wisconsin Elections Commission on August 20 reportedly voted to keep Kanye West off general election presidential ballot as he filed his mination late on August 4. According to international media reports, 5-1 vote came after commission staff released a report concluding that West and his running mate Mitchell Tidball had t filed mination papers on time, i.e by 5:00pm. bipartisan commission rejected argument made by West’s attorney Michael Curran that campaign had until 5:01pm to file. 

As per reports, all three Democrats and two Republicans voted to keep West off Wisconsin ballot. Robert Spindell, a Milwaukee Republican, was only one who favoured putting American rapper on ballot. Spindell reportedly argued that commission should give West ar opportunity. 

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However, Jeffrey Mandell, who is an attorney for Wisconsin’s Democratic Party, ted that state law states that candidate must file mination papers ‘t later’ than 5:00pm. Mandell said that evidence is clear that West’s team filed papers late and ‘y cant be allowed’. Republican Commissioner Dean Knudson also said that ‘five o’clock is five o’clock’. 

Republicans push for West’s candidacy 

Meanwhile, West, who is hoping to get on ballot in a handful of states, reportedly turned in more than 2,400 signatures on his mination papers, which is more than 2,000 minimum needed for an independent candidate to get on ballot in Wisconsin. Several Wisconsin Republicans took an active part in trying to get West on ballot, while Democrats are concerned that West’s candidacy will siphon votes from Joe Biden, a Democrat who will face Trump in vember. 

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According to reports, Republicans operative, some with ties to Trump, have helped West to try to get on presidential general election ballots in states from Vermont to Arkansas. An attorney for Trump campaign in a Wisconsin lawsuit also helped file mination papers for West campaign. 

While Republicans have reportedly accused Democrats of clearing liberal competitions, West’s lawyer had also argued that States law should accept Kanye West’s mination paper since his campaign was hindered by an ‘overly aggressive’ Democratic operative and media. He had even stated that state officials locked ir ncy’s door due to which mination paperwork was t timely filed. 

(Im: AP) 

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