On September 8, 2020, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that Kanye West should not be on the November 2020 ballot as an independent for president, even though it appeared he had more than enough signatures. The court did not explain why it did that, but said, “An opinion will follow.”

It has now been almost six months, and the court has not yet issued its explanation. The basis seems to be that his candidates for presidential elector did not file campaign finance documents, yet no presidential elector candidates had ever before been required to file such documents, and the Secretary of State’s website, which has very clear instructions for independent presidential candidates, did not say the elector candidates need to file such documents.

On February 19, a Virginia Circuit Court in the city of Richmond rejected the lawsuit by State Senator Amanda Chase to force her party, the Republican Party, to hold a 2021 gubernatorial primary. The opinion says she lacks standing. She is seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination this year.

The Eighth Circuit will hear Whitfield v Thurston, 20-2309, on March 18, 2021. This is the case over whether the Arkansas ballot access petition for statewide independent candidates should have been relaxed last year, given the health crisis. The law required 10,000 signatures by early May. The plaintiff-candidate, Dan Whitfield, was running for U.S. Senate. The courts denied injunctive relief but the issue of declaratory relief is still unsettled.