Kanye West’s hopes of becoming the next US president have been dashed – but the rapper has assured fans he’ll be back in 2024.
West launched his campaign back in July, but had only made it on to the presidential ballot in a handful of states due to a combination of missed deadlines and lack of signatures.
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The 21-time Grammy winner is reported to have received around 57,000 votes across the 12 states in which he was in the running. More than 130 million votes have been counted so far.
West shared a photo of himself silhouetted against the US electoral map on social media, with the message: “Welp Kanye 2024.”
“Welp” is an informal way of saying “oh well” and signifies disappointment.
However, deciding to look on the bright side nevertheless, West later modified his message simply to read “Kanye 2024”.
The singer also shared a collection of photos on social media, showing him voting for the first time – for himself.
West cast his vote in Cody, Wyoming, tweeting: “God is so good Smiling face with smiling eyes Today I am voting for the first time in my life for the President of the United States, and it’s for someone I truly trust…me.”
West had physically written himself in as a candidate on the ballot, as he did not receive enough signatures to stand as an independent candidate in Wyoming.
West had also encouraged his fans to vote for him by adding him as a write-in candidate on their own ballot papers.
There had been concern among many that West’s campaign could divert some black voters away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Celebrities including Jennifer Aniston had also criticised those intending to vote for West, saying “it’s not funny to vote for Kanye” and urging voters to “be responsible”.
While the rapper’s wife Kim Kardashian shared a photo on social media declaring “I voted”, she declined to say whether it was for her husband or not.
Earlier she had shared voter hotline numbers from Democratic vice-presidential contender Kamala Harris.
Initially a supporter of Donald Trump, West loaned $6.7m (£5.2) to his campaign, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission.
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He is reported to have spent at least $12m (£9.2m) on his own presidential campaign.
West, who is a devout Christian and has been vocally anti-abortion, had promised to focus on faith and family if he made it to the Oval Office.