Independent Party
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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
The number of ballot-qualified political parties fluctuates as parties gain or lose qualified status. In addition, some states distinguish between major parties and minor parties. Specific differences between major and minor parties differ from state to state. For example, in all states, major parties are granted access to primary elections. Some states, however, do not permit minor parties to participate in primary elections. Consequently, minor party candidates in these states can run only in general elections.
A number of parties, both ballot-qualified and otherwise, refer to themselves as Independent Parties (or some variation thereof). The extent to which these parties are affiliated is not always clear. For more information about political parties in the United States, see this article.
See also
External links
- D.C.'s Political Report, "Minor Parties Links"
- Project Vote Smart, "National Political Parties"
- Politics1.com, "Directory of U.S. Political Parties"
- Ballot Access News
Footnotes
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