Independent presidential candidate Cornel West will now appear on Virginia’s ballot after a decision by the state’s Department of Elections to reverse an earlier ruling that had blocked him. The decision, announced on Friday, clears West and his running mate, Melina Abdullah, to compete in November’s election.
The reversal came after West’s campaign challenged the state’s decision to disqualify him due to problems with required elector forms. West’s campaign said the issue arose from a new form that went into effect after the campaign had already submitted its paperwork. The Virginia Department of Elections acknowledged that the campaign wasn’t made aware of the change, leading to the reversal.
This win for West follows a similar legal victory in Michigan, where he successfully challenged his disqualification from the ballot. A Michigan court ruled that the state had erred in blocking his candidacy over technicalities in his petition.
Virginia is not a key battleground state, but recent polling shows a close race between Vice President Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump. According to RealClearPolitics, Harris leads Trump 48% to 44% in a head-to-head matchup. When independent candidates like West are included, Harris’ lead narrows to 44%, with Trump at 40.5% and West polling at 1%.
As November approaches, West’s presence on the ballot could influence the outcome in states like Virginia.
