Kid Rock May Be Ineligible for Michigan Ballot
Robert Ritchie may end up challenging Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow next year, but his stage name, Kid Rock, may not be allowed to appear on the ballot in Michigan.
Kid Rock is a household name to Americans under the age of 50, and voters might be attracted to vote for him as a middle finger to the political establishment. But it’s not immediately clear whether his famous stage name would appear on the ballot or if he’d be required to run under his less-known given name.
If Ritchie were to submit enough valid signatures to make the ballot and indicated that he wanted to be listed as “Kid Rock,” the Michigan Bureau of Elections staff would have to research the question of whether that name would be allowed. At an initial glance, Ritchie’s stage name isn’t an obviously acceptable name under the state’s criteria.
According to Michigan law via the Affidavit of Identity and Receipt of Filing, there are five stipulations regarding the manner in which a candidate can have his or her name printed on the ballot.
For example, a candidate “may specify that both his or her given name and middle name, or only a middle name, shall appear on the ballot,” or “may specify a name that constitutes a common law name in accordance with the Michigan Department of State Guidelines.” But according to the rules, candidates may not use a “nickname that is not a recognized diminutive of the candidate’s given name.”
Of course it’s possible that Ritchie may want to appear as a more traditional candidate and opt against using his stage name, but then he would put a serious dent into his name identification advantage and corresponding outsider brand.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/%E2%80%98kid-rock%E2%80%99-may-be-ineligible-for-michigan-ballot/ar-AAq4aNY?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=edgsp
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