Independent presidential candidate Dr. Cornel West announced on Thursday that his campaign submitted enough signatures to put him and his running mate, Melina Abdullah, on the Michigan state ballot this year.
According to a press release by the campaign on Thursday, West submitted signatures that his campaign described as “exceeding double the required number” to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office this week to appear on the ballot as an independent. The campaign did not specify the exact number of signatures submitted.
Information provided by the Michigan Department of State indicates that to qualify for the ballot as a candidate without a political party affiliation, the West campaign needed to submit a minimum of 12,000 signatures, with at least 100 of them from each of at least half of Michigan’s congressional districts, in addition to a slate of presidential electors before the July 18 deadline.
“We are confident that the support we’ve garnered, especially from communities that feel unheard, will translate into substantial voter turnout,” West said about his Michigan campaign efforts in the release. “Our campaign is bringing the voices of the forgotten directly into the heart of American politics.”
In the release, the campaign calls gaining Michigan ballot access a strategic victory and notes that Michigan is a key battleground state with a narrow margin of victory between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in the previous presidential election. The campaign further attributes their success to support from underrepresented communities, particularly the Arab and Muslim populations in areas like the city of Dearborn.
Run off : maybe
Rank choice : nyet
It is possible that no candidate for President will get a majority of the popular vote in Michigan. Michigan ought to adopt run-off, or ranked voting for President.