Kanye West scraps effort to get on New Jersey ballot after challenge to 'egregiously bad' petition

Kanye West
(Image credit: JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX/AFP via Getty Images)

Kanye West's alleged presidential bid is abandoning the Garden State.

West, the rapper whose announcement that he'd be entering the 2020 presidential race last month was met with widespread skepticism, has scrapped his effort to appear on the ballot in New Jersey, the New Jersey Globe reports.

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"At this time, Kanye 2020 has no further option than to regrettably withdraw from New Jersey and cease further efforts to place Mr. West's name on the New Jersey ballot," the campaign said in an email as it withdrew the petition, per AP.

West did previously qualify for the Oklahoma ballot, but in addition to New Jersey, he's also facing challenges while trying to get on the ballot in Illinois, reports New York Magazine. By the time West announced his intent to run for president, the deadline to appear on the ballot had already passed in many states, and more deadlines are fast approaching, as The Washington Post's Dave Weigel helpfully illustrates.

In fact, as Weigel notes, West already isn't going to be on the ballot in states with more than 200 electoral votes. In other words, don't bet on an upset win by the Birthday Party.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.