Ballot access requirements for independent Presidential Candidates

Ballotpedia.org ^ | Unknown | Unknown

[harpu]

Generally speaking, an independent presidential candidate must petition for placement on the general election ballot in all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C. A handful of states may allow an independent candidate to pay a filing fee in lieu of submitting a petition. The methods for calculating how many signatures are required vary considerably from state to state, as do the actual signature requirements. For instance, some states establish a flat signature requirement. Other states calculate signature requirements as percentages of voter registration or votes cast for a given office.

In order to access the ballot nationwide, it is estimated that an independent presidential candidate in 2016 would need to collect more than 900,000 signatures - nationwide. This amounts to approximately 0.29 percent of the nation's population. California is expected to require independent candidates to collect 178,039 signatures, more than any other state. Tennessee is expected to require 275 signatures, fewer than any other state.

In 2016, Oklahoma is expected to require independent candidates to collect 40,047 signatures in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot. This equals approximately 1.04 percent of the state's total population, a greater share than in any other state. The map below compares signature requirements by state, both as raw numbers and as percentages of state population. A lighter shade indicates a lower total signature requirement as a percentage of state population while a darker shade indicates a higher signature requirement. It should be noted that other variables factor in this process; for instance, some states require candidates to collect a certain number of signatures from each congressional district.

Signature requirements

Use the LINK to see the table (of individual state requirements and latest filing date) that provides the formula used for determining the number of required signatures, the estimated number of signatures required, the number of required signatures as a percentage of state population, and the 2016 filing deadline. Official signature requirements are published by state elections administrators; the numbers presented here are estimates based on the most recent data available as of November 2015.

[harpu]

Info for all (including you too Mr. Trump) should you want to know how 'one' goes about running as an independent.

The earliest 'last chance' date to get on a ballot as an Independent, is in Texas, May 9, 2016.

[Dr. Sivana]

In 2016, Oklahoma is expected to require independent candidates to collect 40,047 signatures in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot. This equals approximately 1.04 percent of the state's total population, a greater share than in any other state

This is made worse by the fact that you cannot get signatures from those under 18. And of course, you usually want gather double the number of signatures required to fend off challenges. For the Walker recall, anti-Walker sources actually went out and got 500,000 signatures, a staggering undertaking . . . also a bonanza of a list for those who support Walker. Every time some lefty poses as being balanced, check the list, the name is on it as evidence that they are NOT even handed or impartial.