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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGroup With GOP Links Submits Kanye West Petitions For Iowa Ballot
from Iowa Starting Line
A very well-organized political operation finished up their work in Iowa today to put Kanye Wests name on the ballot for the general election here. Around 3,800 signatures of a necessary 1,500 were delivered to the Secretary of State at about 3:40 p.m.
A Republican attorney dropped off the forms. Todd Henderson signed the West forms hes a Republican operative who worked on Secretary of State Paul Pates campaign.
Canvassers and organizers declined to say who they were working for.
Starting Line was made aware of the operations staging location at a Fairfield Inn and Suites in West Des Moines and observed their work for over an hour. Throughout the afternoon, many canvassers pulled up to the hotel, dropped off petition sheets and took new ones back out to locations throughout the Des Moines metro.
Canvassers were spotted today outside the Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines and the Ankeny Target. They appear to have been in the state since early this week.
There were at least 15 separate people involved from what was seen at the hotel, with two individuals sorting and checking the sheets as they came in. Most seemed to also be staying at the hotel. Some canvassers discussed getting paid for the work tomorrow. Earlier in the week, Iowans reported that one canvasser said they were from the Green Party of Florida as they were collecting signatures for that party as well (Green Party petitions were not dropped off with Wests).
Its not for Trump, one canvasser said to another in the lobby of the hotel before heading back out.
No, I know its not for him, but
another replies.
I mean, we know, the first responded. But we gotta tell the right people what it is. We tell them
the benefits.
It depends on who Im talking to. Its either for Republicans to vote for him
or vice versa, to get Trump in office, he continued.
Yeah, those two Mexicans, they were ready to sign. Hey, sign for a better president.'
One Democratic activist who was approached by canvassers outside Merle Hay Mall today reported them saying that signing the form would make it harder for Trump to get elected.
Some of the canvassers were wearing black t-shirts that read Let The Voters Decide on the front and Sign Here on the back.
The attorney who delivered the forms was Brian Rickert, a West Des Moines lawyer who works at Brown Winick, is a registered Republican and has endorsed Republican presidential candidates in the Iowa Caucus. He stressed that he was just dropping off the forms.
Each potential candidate must submit a list of possible presidential electors from the state if theyre able to carry it for the electoral college. These are the names submitted for West:
William Dalziel, Marion
Tracy Barkalow, Iowa City
Joel Smits, Ankeny
Dennis Henderson, Holstein
Clifford Fairchild, Ankeny
David Roszak, Clive
All six of Wests electors are registered Republicans.
In many other states, Republicans and the Trump campaign itself have been behind similar efforts to put Wests name on the general election ballot.
For presidential candidates to get on the ballot here, they must collect 1,500 signatures from eligible Iowans (anyone who can vote, whether theyre registered or not) from ten separate counties. The requirement is relatively easy to achieve, but it still requires a concerted effort to accomplish.
Simply submitting the forms does not put a candidate on the ballot. An objection period runs through August 27 where individuals can challenge various aspects of the petitions or signatures.
https://iowastartingline.com/2020/08/14/group-with-gop-links-submits-kanye-west-petitions-for-iowa-ballot/?fbclid=IwAR2NiNH22UoR8yLvFSFStDIUnScJJFpypIcjOXAvV2xgR4i0_d0QeixDPYA
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brush
(55,425 posts)Response to brush (Reply #1)
Initech This message was self-deleted by its author.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Why don't they try to get their preferred candidate nominated by the Republican party?
Looks like they picked Iowa because it's really easy to gather the requisite signatures. Most states require a petition signer to be a registered voter. They're so clever, aren't they?
Bev54
(10,704 posts)campaign, I hope these people will all be tried for their activity.
Initech
(100,656 posts)![](/emoticons/grr.gif)