LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Two Michigan gubernatorial hopefuls are off the ballot.

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers met Thursday to review petition signatures for candidates running for governor. Democrat Kim Thomas, an auditor, and Republican Ralph Rebandt, a retired pastor, failed to meet the requirement after the discovery of numerous invalid signatures.

Gubernatorial candidates need 15,000 signatures to appear on the ballot. The Bureau of Elections (BOE) makes its recommendation to the Board of State Canvassers from a random sample of signatures submitted. BOE Director Jonathan Brater said Thomas’ team submitted 17,976 signatures and Rebandt’s team submitted 18,214 signatures. Of the signatures sampled, hundreds were deemed invalid for both candidates Of the 750 signatures sampled, 690 were deemed invalid and 60 valid. Brater is referring some Thomas’ signatures for investigation since there are “clear indications of fraud.”