3rd Party Spoiler? Both Candidates Are At Risk.

June 25, 2024 Glen Turpening

The unpopularity of both candidates makes them susceptible to insurgent 3 party candidates that can sway the election. (Politico)

Independent and third-party candidates are potential disruptors for Joe Biden and Donald Trump in a race expected to be decided by razor thin margins. But before these candidates become true threats, they have to first get on the ballot. “And if you are not on the ballot, your candidacy does not exist,” Ralph Nader’s 2000 and 2004 presidential campaign manager Theresa Amato wrote. “No ballot access, no votes.” Getting your name printed on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win the Electoral College earns a third-party candidate not only political legitimacy, but also satisfies one of the requirements to appear on debate stages — which Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to meet for the first presidential debate. Biden and Trump have high unfavorables, raising third-party candidate appeal and potential vote share in states that are often decided by thousands of votes.

By BRITTANY GIBSON, STEVEN SHEPARD, ISABELLA RAMÍREZ and JARED MITOVICH, 'Politico'