Kanye West will appear on the Oklahoma presidential election ballot after filing the necessary paperwork, but confusion remained on Wednesday as to whether the rap superstar was still in the race, amid reports he was ending his short-lived campaign.
A representative for West filed the necessary paperwork and paid the $35,000 fee to run as an independent candidate Wednesday afternoon, which was the deadline for a spot on Oklahoma’s 3 November presidential ballot, said the Oklahoma Board of Elections spokeswoman Misha Mohr.
West was one of three independent presidential candidates to pay the filing fee prior to the deadline, she added. The others were the concert pianist Jade Simmons and the cryptocurrency entrepreneur Brock Pierce.
The filing came a day after New York magazine’s Intelligencer quoted West adviser Steve Kramer as saying “he’s out” and noting that the staff he had hired were disappointed.
However, TMZ reported that the West campaign had filed a “Statement of Organization” Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission, stating that a Kanye 2020 committee would serve as principal campaign committee for a West candidacy.
West has already missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states, and it’s unclear if he is willing or able to collect enough signatures required to qualify in others. The requirements that candidates need to meet in order to appear on presidential election ballots also vary by state. In Oklahoma, candidates need to get 35,592 signatures or pay $35,000. In Colorado, where the deadline to file is 5 August, candidates must get 5,000 signatures, or pay $1,000.
West, who is married to the reality television star Kim Kardashian West, announced his candidacy on 4 July. “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future,” West tweeted at the time. “I am running for president of the United States.”
West had previously praised Donald Trump, famously saying that the two share “dragon energy”. However West appeared to part ways with the president earlier this month in an interview with Forbes, saying he was “taking the red hat off” – a reference to Trump’s trademark red Make America Great Again cap.
West, who has said he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, told the magazine that he would model his White House on the fictional land in Black Panther if he won the presidency, adding: “Let’s get back to Wakanda.”
