Quynh Uong, from San Diego, California. She s a Freelance Illustrator and Graphic Designer currently Majoring in Media Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Through her interests in Design, Marketing, and Politics, her work aims to be a Platform for Underrepresented Voices.

Ballot Access News Editor Richard Winger and FairVote, helped provide the Resources for this story she wrote.

To have their Voices heard and enact Change, Citizens are urged to use their Vote. But how can America’s Population be truly Represented when, in some States, it is nearly impossible for Independent or Minor Party Candidates to even Appear on Voters’ Ballots?

What good is a “fair” Vote when viable Candidates are undermined by Strict Ballot Access Laws that Favor the Two Major Parties?

I have written about this issue. This is the other side of Voting Suppression, the Candidate side. Clearly, Election Reform at State and Federal Levels is Needed.

Here are 8 of America’s Worst Candidate Ballot Access Laws:

1. Georgia - Georgia’s Ballot Access Laws require a Petition of 5% of the Registered Voters for U.S. House and State Legislature. It has never been used by a Minor Party for U.S. House and not by an Independent since 1964. The Law was made worse in 1964 when the Due Date for Petitions were moved up to July rather than October.

2. Illinois - Illinois’ Ballot Access Laws require the Petition for U.S. House, Legislature, and Country Partisan Office to receive 5% of the last Vote cast.

3. Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania requires a Party to have a Membership of at least 15% of Statewide Voter Registration to be on the Ballot.

4. Virginia - To be considered a Qualified Party, Virginia requires that a Group must have 10% of the Vote for any Statewide Race at either of the Last Two Elections. Only Democrats and Republicans have met this Ballot Access Requirement for the last 21 years.

5. New Jersey - Since 1920, New Jersey requires a Party to Poll at least 10% of the Total Vote Cast for the Assembly to be Qualified. Only Democrats and Republicans have been able to achieve this Requirement.

6. Maine - Maine’s Laws requires a Member of a Small Qualified Party to attain a Petition of 2,000 Party Members, even if the Party has only a few Members.

7. New Mexico New Mexico’s Independent Petition Laws, which require 3% of the last Gubernatorial Vote and a Post-Nomination Petition, have kept All Independent Candidates for Governor and U.S. Senate off the Ballot.

8. Arizona - The Republican-led State Legislature changed its Ballot Access Requirements in 2015 to specifically Target the Libertarian Party. Primary Ballot Access now considers the entire Registered Voting Population, changing the Number of Required Signatures from 133 to over 3,100. That is equivalent to approximately 10% of the Registered Libertarian Voting Population.

In New York, for a Party to get Four years of a Ballot Line, they must receive a minimum of 50,000 Votes for Governor. As of 4/1/2018, these are Party Active Enrollment Totals and their Totals that got their Ballot Line.

Green Party - 26,462, 184,419

Working Families Party - 41,019, 126,244

Woman's Equity Party - 4,374, 53,802

Reform Party - 1,802, 51,492









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker