The Myth of the Third Party Solution

[Minimalist]

An example of some of the hoops.

http://www.seolawfirm.com/2012/10/third-...-election/

One obstacle to success for third parties is access to the ballot. The Republican and Democratic parties, with their multi-million dollar war chests, are routinely able to place their candidates on the ballot in all fifty states. Third parties face what for them are formidable barriers. Each state has its own ballot access rules, some calling for hefty registration fees, and some requiring the signatures of a certain number of registered voters. For small organizations with limited resources, the simple action of getting their candidate’s name on the ballot is not always achievable.

The Presidential debates play a central role in the election process, and third party candidates are usually excluded. Since the 1988 election, the debates have been organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonprofit corporation controlled by the Democratic and Republican parties. The League of Women Voters withdrew its support from the debates, stating that secret agreements about which candidates could participate and what questions would be asked amounted to a “fraud on the American voter.” Green Party and Libertarian Party candidates have been arrested attempting to participate in the debates. [6] This year, at least three corporate sponsors, including Philips Electronics and the YWCA, have withdrawn their support because of Gary Johnson’s exclusion from the debates.