Michigan Eradicates Cornel West from Ballot in November
Independent Candidate West & His Running Mate Disqualified Over Technical Violation
In a significant political development, the Michigan Bureau of Elections this Friday disqualified Independent Presidential Candidate Cornel West, and his vice presidential running mate, from appearing on the upcoming November 5 General Election ballot. This decision came following a technical violation of state law by the civil rights activist and philosopher’s campaign.
A Glitch in the Process Leads to Disqualification
Jonathan Brater, the director of Michigan’s elections, penned a letter to the West campaign pointing out that the affidavits of identity submitted in June for West and his running mate, Melina Abdullah, were not properly notarized. This was a crucial factor leading to their disqualification. Up until the news broke, the West campaign has not made a public response regarding the disqualification.
Violation Not Addressed, Disqualification Upheld
The letter from Brater stipulated that the West campaign was informed about a challenge to the affidavits on July 26. The challenge came from the former Michigan Democratic Party Chairman, Mark Brewer, and was given time until Aug. 2 to respond. As per the letter, the campaign did not respond to the challenge by Friday. West’s affidavit of identity, which was notarized in Colorado, was expected to meet that state’s rules for proper notarization to be valid in Michigan.
There were apparent defects with the document, such as unfilled blanks on the form, a separately sent notary’s public stamp, and an absence of identification for the specific notarial act performed. Brater’s letter emphasized, “Your affidavit of identity was not notarized in compliance with the laws of the state where it was notarized (Colorado), and therefore is not a valid notarization under the Michigan Law on Notarial Acts.“
Campaign Hopeful Despite Disconcerting Poll Numbers
In contrast to the disqualification, the West campaign reported in a June 20 news release of their submission of exceeding required petition signatures for ballot candidacy in Michigan. Despite facing disqualification in Michigan, West remains optimistic about the support his campaign has attracted.
However, national polls reflect a dissimilar sentiment, showing West not gaining substantial sway in the Presidential race, both in Michigan and nationally. He languishes as the last of five candidates, with support from less than 1% of voters. Among the candidates leading ahead of him are Vice President Kamala Harris, ex-President Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Jill Stein of the Green Party.
West on the Ballot in a Mere Five States
West’s campaign, despite disqualification in Michigan, successfully placed him on the ballot in Alaska, Colorado, South Carolina, Oregon, and Vermont. The journey leading up to the final vote is anticipated to bring more turns in this twisty race to the presidency.