As New York state presidential primaries wrapped up with predicted victories for President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, many voters have expressed dissatisfaction with the rematch.
Changes made in 2020 have made it increasingly difficult for many third party presidential candidates to appear on the ballot in New York state, limiting the prospect of alternatives.
As it stands, only four political parties can appear on the ballot: Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Working Families. Nominees from any other party and unaffliated individuals must run as an independent.
For candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that means a process that includes gathering 45,000 signatures on a petition to get on the ballot — triple the previous requirement, or one percent of the total vote in the most recent gubernatorial election, whichever is less. That's in addion to other procedural requirements.
Since 1900, only five third-party candidates have captured at least one electoral vote, the most recent being George Wallace in 1968.