Dr. Cornel West, an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential election, has qualified for the general election in Virginia, according to a letter sent to West’s campaign by the Virginia Department of Elections.
“After review, the Department of Elections has reconsidered its decision not to qualify Dr. West and Abdullah and their names will appear on the ballot,” the letter reads about West and his running mate, Dr. Melina Abdullah.
The letter was obtained exclusively by CBS News.
The West-Abdullah campaign had previously been denied access to the ballot by the Department of Elections after a problem with forms needed to submit to the Commonwealth.
Sources within West’s campaign told CBS News that this was due to issues regarding the validity of their voter registration forms.
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“The ministry confirmed that the campaign submitted the documents in April, but was not informed of a new form that would be required after July 1 regarding voter citizenship and residency,” the letter said.
In a statement to CBS News, the West-Abdullah campaign confirmed it received the letter and will appear on the ballot in Virginia.
“Virginia voters will now have the opportunity to choose a candidate, Dr. Cornel West, who represents their values,” a spokesperson for the West-Abdullah campaign said.
West now joins former President Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris, Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver, independent Claudia De la Cruz and Green Party candidate Jill Stein on the Virginia ballot.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy deleted his name from the polls in the Old Dominion after announcing he was suspending his campaign and supporting Trump.
West-Abdullah’s campaign has attempted to gain access to the polls in several key states.
Although Virginia is not considered a key swing state by CBS News, the Trump campaign has tried to put the commonwealth in play this cycle by holding several campaign rallies there. President Biden won Virginia by a 10-point margin in 2020.
In addition to Virginia, West and Abdullah will also appear on the ballot in key swing states Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Georgia, and could potentially have a minor impact on the outcome of the presidential race.
The Arizona secretary of state’s office said West failed to file the necessary paperwork by an August deadline. In Nevada, the West-Abdullah campaign missed a deadline to submit enough signatures.
The campaign was denied access to the Pennsylvania ballot after losing a court challenge that found that 14 of West’s 19 presidential electors lacked the required affidavits.
“We have already faced a negative outcome at the state level, which is why we are moving forward with a federal court complaint. Even so, we are not yet at the ‘endgame’ stage in Pennsylvania,” a spokesperson for the West-Abdullah campaign said. “We believe the federal courts can provide some relief, as the current system unfairly infringes on First Amendment rights.”
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