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Yes, You Can Vote For Johnson In All 50 States

by Bronwyn Isaac

Even as we head down to the Election Day wire, many Americans are still undecided between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, in part because they simply don't actually like either of the two major-party candidates. However, the third-party candidates are still options, and many are wondering, is Gary Johnson on the ballot in every state? Whether you're in ruby-red Alabama or true-blue California, you can cast your presidential vote for Johnson.

According to Ballotpedia, in order for third-party candidates to qualify for ballot access, they must either win a certain percentage of voters in a given state (percentage numbers vary by state), or they must reach a minimum amount of voters registered under that independent party. For example, despite relatively widespread national name recognition during the 2000 election, due to state laws Nader only appeared on 43 state ballots out of the 50 states.

However, given the increasing interest in third-party options during this election and some strong logistical work from the Libertarian Party, Johnson will appear on ballots in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia. Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, will appear on the ballots in 44 states and Washington, D.C., with the option to write in her name on three of the remaining five.

[Twitter Embed: https://twitter.com/JohnJHarwood/status/780808819442057218]

However, being on the ballot in all 50 states may not do Johnson much good. While at one point the Libertarian ticket seemed to have a fair bit of momentum, Johnson has had some major stumbles (Does "What is Aleppo?" ring a bell?) — and his numbers have tumbled with it. As FiveThirtyEight recently noted, Johnson has fallen from polling nationally at roughly 9 percent in August to 6 percent in late October. He's not remotely expected to pick up a single Electoral College vote come Nov. 8.

However, for those looking for a third-party option that does have a glimmer of hope to win at least one state, Evan McMullin may actually become the first non-major party candidate in nearly 40 years to get some recognition from the Electoral College by possibly winning Utah. We'll have to wait and see on Nov. 8.