Factbox-How US states make it tough for third parties in elections
By Jarrett Renshaw
(Reuters) — For third-party U.S. presidential candidates, getting on state ballots is challenging and expensive, thanks to a patchwork of U.S. laws designed by Republicans and Democrats, the dominant parties which control statehouses nationwide.
In many cases, outsider challengers can seek to qualify either as an independent candidate or a candidate from a minor party, though not all states have multiple options. Conversely, Democratic and Republican candidates automatically get on ballots due to state laws that reward parties for voter support during previous elections.
Here is a summary of states with the most cumbersome ballot access laws, according to experts, including Richard Winger, co-editor of the newsletter Ballot Access News.
CALIFORNIA
To qualify as a minor party, an organization must collect 75,000 signatures from residents who are willing to switch parties or register for the first time.
An independent candidate must collect some 219,000 signatures — the most of any state — over a 105-day stretch that starts in April.
NEW YORK
In 2020, then-Governor Andrew Cuomo led an effort to modify the state's ballot access law that changed the definition of a pre-qualified party, taking the Libertarian, Green and Independence parties off the ballot.
The petition requirement tripled to 45,000 signatures — including at least 500 in half of the state's 26 congressional districts, but the six-week petitioning period remained the same.
TEXAS
Independent candidates must collect 113,151 signatures over a 70-day stretch that begins on May 13. Voters who participated in the Republican or Democratic presidential primary election, held on May 5, are disqualified from signing a petition.
A minor party must
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