Kanye Axed From Illinois Ballot, Nearly 2K Signatures Invalid

CHICAGO, IL — Weeks after announcing he was running for president, Chicago native Kanye West was booted from the Illinois election ballot after nearly 2,000 of his submitted signatures were ruled invalid. Objections to his petitions sparked an Illinois Board of Elections review that found 1,928 of his 3,218 signatures were not valid, leaving him short of the 2,500 required to run for president in Illinois, TMZ reported over the weekend.

West, who announced his bid for president in July, also withdrew his petition from the New Jersey ballot for similar reasons, according to Spin. His attorneys have until Aug. 21 to defend the disputed signatures with evidence to get him back on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Earlier this month, state election officials dismissed one of three challenges filed against West's petitions.

Related: Chicago Attorney Doubts Kanye West Will Appear On Illinois Ballot

A team of petition circulators in Chicago's suburbs reportedly paid $10 per signatureto get West enough names to appear on the ballot.

Meanwhile, a high school friend of West's from Oak Lawn's Polaris High School dismissed the star's presidential bid as an attention-seeking "media ploy."

"He's trying to get attention from everyone," the friend told Patch.

Even so, West has vowed on Twitter to "beat Biden" via write-in votes.