Wisconsin denies Kanye West’s petition to appear on ballot

Kanye West has been denied a spot on Wisconsin’s presidential ballots this November after state election officials concluded that West had turned in his petition after the deadline had passed.

In a 5-1 vote on Thursday, the Badger State’s election board turned away the rapper’s petition that would’ve put him on Wisconsin’s ballot in November as an independent, NBC News reported.

West — who announced his last-minute bid for the White House on July 4 — already isn’t going to appear on enough states’ ballots to have a shot at winning the required 270 electoral votes, but with the help of Republican politicos, the famous artist has been working on getting on the ballot in key swing states such as Wisconsin. 

Because of this, many have surmised that West’s intention was never to actually contend, but to siphon votes away from Democratic nominee Joe Biden. West, until recently, was thought to be a staunch supporter of President Trump, who is trailing Biden in many of the swing states that he narrowly won in 2016.

In an interview with Forbes, West said he was “taking the red hat off,” referencing the president’s signature “Make America Great Again” hat that West has publicly worn in the past. 

Then in a follow-up interview with Forbes, West wouldn’t deny that he was trying to take votes away from the former vice president.

The acclaimed rapper told the publication that he was “walking … to win” the presidency, but when it was pointed out that he wouldn’t be on the ballot in enough states to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the White House, West answered, “I’m not going to argue with you. Jesus is King.”