What’s happening with Kanye West’s presidential campaign?

White House hopeful has failed to make the ballot in Missouri and Wyoming

Kanye West at the WSJ Magazine 2019 Innovator Awards on 6 November 2019 in New York City. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Kanye West’s presidential campaign further appeared to fizzle as he failed to make the ballot in two additional states – Missouri and Wyoming.

Election officials said on Tuesday that West did not gather enough valid signatures to be on Missouri’s election ballot in November.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft notified West his office had verified 6,557 valid signatures in support of West’s bid to be listed as an independent candidate for president. Missouri law requires at least 10,000 valid signatures to be placed on the ballot.

Mr Ashcroft’s office said it verified the last batch of petition signatures on Tuesday.

“Therefore, you do not qualify to have your name placed on the 3 November 2020 general election ballot,” a letter from Mr Ashcroft’s office to West says.

Also on Tuesday, it was announced that West has missed the deadline to appear on the ballot in Wyoming.

Wyoming secretary of state’s office spokesman Will Dinneen told the Associated Press that West hadn’t submitted any signatures by Monday’s deadline.

A total of 4,025 verifiable signatures was required.

Since West launched his bid in July, he has qualified to appear on the ballot in five states: Colorado, Arkansas, Utah, Vermont, and Oklahoma.

His run has fuelled speculation that it was a publicity stunt to promote a new album, or an effort by Republicans to siphon voters away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

West was at one point a strong supporter of Republican President Donald Trump, but he broke with Trump when he announced his candidacy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report