DENVER – Hip hop musician and entrepreneur Kanye West has filed paperwork and qualified for Colorado’s November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate for president of the United States.
West met the 3 p.m. deadline to file in Colorado and paid the $1,000 fee, according to Betsy Hart, a spokesperson for the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
His campaign filed paperwork for nine potential electors for West, who would represent him and his Vice Presidential candidate, Michelle Tidball, as presidential electors.
Hart said Thursday morning that all nine electors were found to be registered Colorado voters, meaning West has qualified for the ballot.
Vice News reported Wednesday morning that Rachel George, a Republican political strategist and communicator, had emailed at least one other strategist asking them to sign on as an elector for West so he could make the ballot in Colorado – something he has failed to do in several other states.
West, who has supported President Donald Trump in years past, said in early July he would run for president, leading to speculation that he might try to take votes away from Joe Biden in an effort to boost Trump’s chances in November.
Gov. Jared Polis, who has endorsed Joe Biden for president, weighed in on West’s qualifying for the presidential ballot on Thursday morning.
“Well, I don’t know whether this is a prank or it’s a real candidacy. Obviously, people are allowed to run for president of the United Stated of course. I mean, if you’re 35 years old, that’s a requirement. Citizen of our country, you can run,” Polis said.
“It’s unclear in this case whether it’s an actual candidacy or whether it’s some kind of joke or prank. Obviously running for office is not a joke or prank. If you’re serious about it, by all means any person can do it,” he added. “There’s always 20-30 people on that ballot that are running, and in their minds, each of them is going to be the next President of the United States. But most people know it’s usually between two candidates in November.”
