Michigan Supreme Court rules Cornel West’s name will remain on presidential ballot

The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that independent presidential candidate Cornel West’s name will remain on Michigan’s Nov. 5 presidential ballot.

In an order issued Monday, the state’s highest court upheld a ruling by the Michigan Court of Appeals last week, which upheld an earlier decision by the Michigan Court of Claims that West should appear on the ballot. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear on the Michigan presidential ballot

In its decision, the MSC said it had not been “persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this Court.” Those questions had been raised by elections lawyer and former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer, on behalf of Rosa Holliday, a longtime civil rights and community activist, claiming, among other issues, that West’s affidavit of identity (AOI) was not properly notarized. Brewer’s complaint also alleged that the bipartisan Michigan Board of State Canvassers had failed in its duty when it approved West’s ballot petitions, despite claims they were “rife with forged signatures.”

On that point, MSC Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement offered some validation in a concurring opinion.

“I write separately to note that plaintiff Rosa Holliday raises a potentially meritorious argument that the Board of State Canvassers failed to fulfill a clear legal duty under MCL 168.552(10) to investigate and resolve all challenges to nominating petitions before deciding to certify a candidate,” Clement wrote, although she said that argument had not been raised in the proper manner.

In response, Brewer told the Michigan Advance the entire episode has highlighted the need for ballot petition reform in Michigan.

“We are very disappointed that Cornel West, who’s been secretly financed and supported by Republican interests, who has committed large scale petition signature forgery in Michigan and other states, and who couldn’t competently fill out simple election paperwork will appear on the ballot,” said Brewer. “Even before the Kennedy and West candidacies, Michigan’s laws governing minor parties and independent candidates were a muddled mess, full of contradictory, outdated, and unconstitutional provisions. Their candidacies have reinforced the need to reform those laws so that legitimate minor parties and independent candidates have access to the ballot but fraudulent parties and candidates do not.”

Monday’s ruling came the same day that the Supreme Court also ruled independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s name would also remain on the Nov. 5 ballot, despite his motion to have it removed after the 70-year-old suspended his independent campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump in his bid for another White House term.