West Virginia: Kanye West short on ballot signatures

West Virginia’s secretary of state says rapper Kanye West’s bid to get on the ballot for president came up short on qualified signatures.

Secretary of State Mac Warner’s office told media outlets Friday that West needed 7,144 signatures from registered voters in West Virginia. West submitted 15,000 signatures, but only 13,865 were legible, and only 6,383 were confirmed West Virginia registered voters, according to Secretary of State spokesperson Mike Queen.

State law requires the secretary of state to certify the ballot by Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Wisconsin election officials on Thursday decided to keep West off the ballot because his nomination papers were turned in moments after the deadline. He has qualified in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Utah.

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. Democrats claim Republicans are pushing West’s candidacy in several swing states to siphon Black votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

West, who once backed Republican President Donald Trump, announced last month that he had broken with Trump and would launch his own presidential bid.