A representative for Kanye West has filed for the musician to run for president as an independent in Ohio.
The Ohio Secretary of State's Office confirmed Wednesday that West's campaign submitted petitions and declarations for both him and vice presidential candidate Michelle Tidball, a self-described "biblical life coach" from Wyoming.
Wednesday at 4 p.m. is Ohio's deadline for independent candidates to submit petitions with valid signatures for the presidential contest. The nominating petitions must contain at least 5,000 valid signatures from qualified Ohio voters, plus a list of 18 electors to represent West in the Electoral College should he win.
Those signatures must be verified before West can appear on Ohio's ballot on November 3.
West, a longtime supporter of President Trump, declared he was running for president in a July 4 tweet that has since been retweeted more than 500,000 times.According to a New York Times article, at least four Republican political operatives have been working to get West on the presidential ballot throughout the country. West's campaign filed signatures in Wisconsin on Tuesday, and has filed paper work to appear on the ballot in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
However, he withdrew a petition to appear on New Jersey's ballot just hours before a hearing to determine the validity of his signatures.
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 🇺🇸! #2020VISION
— ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020
According to the Ohio Statehouse Bureau's Andy Chow, West's signatures were submitted by an associate with the law firm Isaac Wiles, which has strong ties to the Republican party. The firm received more than $81,500 for work from Senate and House Republican campaigns since 2014.
There is no fee to file as a presidential candidate with the Ohio Secretary of State's Office. In a thread on Twitter, Secretary of State Frank LaRose clarified how independent candidates are certified.
LaRose says West's petition will be sent to county boards of elections, which have until August 17 to verify the signatures. Then the Secretary of State's Office will review West's petition, his slate of electors and the counties' reports to determine if West met the threshold to run.
The Libertarian Party of Ohio also filed a petition Wednesday for presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen.
