2 Virginia voters suing to remove Kanye West from 2020 presidential ballot in state

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Two Virginia voters are suing to remove rap artist Kaye West from their state's 2020 presidential ballot, alleging they were tricked into supporting his campaign.

In a lawsuit filed in the Richmond Circuit Court on Tuesday, Suffolk residents Matthan Wilson and Bryan Wright said signature gatherers for West deceived them into pledging to serve as his electors.

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The suit names state elections officials as defendants, arguing they should not have certified West for the ballot a week ago. Wilson and Wright are represented by Marc E. Elias and other attorneys working for the prominent Democratic firm Perkins Coie.

Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring, a Democrat, has since filed a motion for a Thursday emergency hearing and a brief that spotlights “concerning deficiencies” in all 13 electors' oaths.

Rapper Kanye West holds his first rally in support of his presidential bid in North Charleston, S.C., on July 19, 2020.  (REUTERS)

West's campaign has faced accusations of duplicity in other states and has been removed from the ballot in multiple states because of deficient paperwork, according to The Washington Post.

“Defendants have a legal duty to ensure that only the names of the candidates who meet the requirements of Virginia law are placed on the ballots in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” the suit reads.

Wilson and Wright request that the court intervene immediately, pointing out that the state would typically start printing ballots this week and that it must mail absentee ballots to voters by Sept. 19.

The Virginia Board of Elections announced last week that West had met the requirement for 5,000 petition signatures and 13 electors who pledged their support.

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The lawsuit argues that at least three of the electors West's campaign reported as being committed were obtained by treachery and that another eight were null because of the manner in which the oaths were notarized.

Another suit against West filed on Monday claims he is violating Arizona law by running as an independent because he’s registered as a Republican in Wyoming.

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While West's bid for the presidency is viewed as a long shot, some members of the Democratic Party fear that he could become a spoiler candidate in key swing states, potentially drawing Black votes away from Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Republicans have assisted in West's campaign, and he has been an outspoken supporter of President Trump in the past.