Her name is on the ballot for Minnesota’s presidential primary on March 5 under the Legal Marijuana Now Party, which is classified as a major political party in the state.
Gabel has worked with the party’s Nebraska chapter in the past, and she said state law allowed the Minnesota party to put her name forward for the 2024 ballot without her permission.
“I was put on the ballot against my consent, and that very much felt like a violation of not only my privacy but of my constitutional rights,” she said. “It even felt very physically icky and violating.”
Dennis Schuller from the party told CPR News in an email that Gabel “had been in on discussions about the Minnesota and Nebraska primaries and 2024 election plans.”
Since Gabel has asked to be withdrawn, her name does not appear on the Legal Marijuana Now Party’s candidate list on its website.
But getting her name taken off Minnesota’s primary ballot has proven impossible. Early voting started Jan. 19, with Gabel listed as a candidate for the Legal Marijuana Now Party, and the ballots won’t be revised – just as people who have dropped out of the Republican race are still listed.