Kanye West misses ballot deadline in South Carolina following rally

West has missed the deadline in many states

Kanye West on 7 November 2019 in New York City. (Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company)

Kanye West has missed the deadline to make the presidential ballot in South Carolina, the day after holding a rally in the state.

The artist did not submit the 10,000 signatures required to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate by noon on Monday, commission spokesman Chris Whitmire told The Hill. The Independent has contacted Whitmire for comment.

West has already missed the ballot deadline to run as an independent in several states.

He has said he would run as an independent, or as a Republican in the – yet unlikely – event that Donald Trump drops out of the race. If that were the case, though, an in-party vote would have to take place to select a replacement candidate.

Last week, West qualified to appear on Oklahoma’s presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline.

West’s event on Sunday took place in North Charleston, South Carolina. During the rally, he delivered a lengthy monologue, touching on topics from abortion and religion to international trade and licensing deals.

He also criticised abolitionist Harriet Tubman, one of the most respected figures of 19th-century America, in comments that have drawn widespread condemnation.

It remains unclear how seriously West is taking his presidential run.

He had used his Twitter account to ask eligible fans to help get him on the ballot in South Carolina, apparently to no avail.

Additional reporting by agencies