Ballot access in the 2024 United States presidential election

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

In the 2024 United States presidential election, different laws and procedures govern whether or not a candidate or political party is entitled to appear on voters' ballots.[1] Since election processes are decentralized by Article I, Section 4, of the United States Constitution, these laws are established and enforced by the states.[2] Additionally, there are often different requirements for primary and general elections, and requirements for primary elections may additionally differ by party.

Additionally, the filing requirements to appear on the ballot often differ between parties and independents, leading some independents such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to create a party to get on the ballot in states where the requirement is lower for party-sponsored candidates. Conversely, organizations such as No Labels and parties like the Libertarians and Greens will have their nominee petition as an independent in states where such a route is less restrictive. [3]

Maps[edit]

All maps are current as of April 4, 2024.

Deadlines[edit]

All dates are in the year 2024 unless otherwise stated.

Deadlines for ballot access in the 2024 United States presidential election
(as of Mar 30, 2024)
State Minor party[4] Independent[5] Write-in
AL Mar 5 Aug 15 Automatic[6]
AK Aug 7 Aug 7 No write-ins[7]
AZ Nov 30, 2023 Aug 17 Sep 26[8]
AR Aug 5 Aug 1 No write-ins[6]
CA Jul 5 Aug 9 Oct 22[9]
CO Jul 1 Jul 11 Jul 18[10]
CT N/A[a] Aug 7 Oct 7[11]
DE N/A[b] Sep 3 Oct 28[12]
DC TBD Aug 7 Nov 12[13]
FL N/A[c] Jul 15 Jul 15[14]
GA Jul 9 Jul 9[15] Sep 3[16]
HI Feb 22 Aug 7 No write-ins[6]
ID Aug 30 Aug 1 Sep 6[17]
IL N/A[d] Jun 24 Sep 5[18]
IN N/A[e] Jul 1 Jul 3[19]
IA N/A[f] Aug 16 Automatic[6]
KS Jun 1 Aug 5 Oct 14[20]
KY N/A[g] Sep 6 Oct 25[21]
LA N/A[h] Aug 23 No write-ins[6]
ME N/A[i] Aug 1 Aug 27[22]
MD Aug 5 Aug 5 Oct 30[23]
MA N/A[j] Aug 27 Sep 6[24]
MI Jul 18 Jul 18 Oct 25[25]
MN Jun 4 Aug 20 Oct 29[26]
MS N/A[k] Sep 6 No write-ins[6]
MO Jul 29 Jul 29 Oct 25[27]
MT Feb 22 May 27 Sep 11[28]
NE N/A[l] Aug 1 Oct 25[29]
NV May 17 Jul 5 No write-ins[6]
NH Aug 7 Jun 14 Automatic[6]
NJ N/A[m] Jul 29 Automatic[6]
NM TBD[n] Jun 27 No write-ins[6]
NY N/A[o] May 28 Oct 15[30]
NC Jun 1 Mar 5 Aug 7[31]
ND N/A[p] Sep 3 Oct 15[32]
OH Jul 3 Aug 7 Aug 25[33]
OK Feb 29 Jul 15 No write-ins[6]
OR TBD[q] Aug 27 Automatic[6]
PA N/A[r] Aug 1 Automatic[6]
RI Aug 1 Sep 6 Automatic[6]
SC May 5 Jul 15 No write-ins[6]
SD Mar 26 Aug 6 No write-ins[6]
TN Aug 7 Aug 15 Sep 16[34]
TX May 28[s] May 13 Aug 19[35]
UT Nov 30, 2023 Jun 15[t] Sep 1[37]
VT N/A[u] Aug 1 Automatic[6]
VA N/A[v] Aug 23 Oct 28[38]
WA N/A[w] Aug 2 Poll closure[39]
WV N/A[x] Aug 1 Sep 17[40]
WI Apr 1 Aug 6 Oct 22[41]
WY Jun 1 Aug 26 Automatic[6]

General election[edit]

The following is a table for which parties and independent candidates have received presidential ballot access in which states.

 Yes  indicates that the party or candidate is on the ballot in 2024.

 Yes  indicates that the party or candidate has credibly finished petitioning for the ballot awaiting certification.

   indicates that the state has automatic write-in access.

 write-in  indicates that the candidate is a recognized write-in candidate.

 No  indicates that the party or candidate did not register for any ballot access for 2024 before the deadline, write-in or otherwise.

Parties not expected to field candidates for President and parties without presidential ballot access will not be included.

Ballot access in the 2024 United States presidential election
State / electors Nominated parties and independents Parties without nominees
PSL
Cruz/Garcia
AL 9 Registration not required Yes Registration not required Yes
AK 3 As nominee of Aurora Party Yes Yes [aa] Yes Yes
AZ 11 Yes Yes Yes Yes
AR 6 Yes Yes Yes Yes
CA 54 Yes Yes Yes Yes
CO 10 as Unity Party Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
CT 7 Yes Yes Yes
DE 3 Yes Yes Yes
DC 3 Yes Yes Yes
FL 30 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
GA 16 Yes Yes Yes
HI 4 Yes As nominee of We the People Party[ab] Yes Yes Yes Yes
ID 4 As Independent Petitioning finished Yes Yes Yes Yes
IL 19 Yes Yes
IN 11 Yes Yes Yes
IA 6 Registration not required Petitioning finished Registration not required Yes Registration not required Yes Yes
KS 6 Yes Yes Yes
KY 8 Yes Yes
LA 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes
ME 4 Yes Yes Yes Yes
MD 10 Yes Yes Yes
MA 11 Yes Yes Yes
MI 15 as nominee of Natural Law Party Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
MN 10 Yes Yes
MS 6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
MO 10 Yes Yes Yes
MT 4 Yes Yes Yes Yes
NE 5 Petitioning finished Yes Yes Yes
NV 6 [ac] Yes Yes Yes Yes
NH 4 Registration not required Yes Registration not required Yes Registration not required Yes
NJ 14 Registration not required Yes Registration not required Yes
NM 5 Yes Yes Yes Yes
NY 28 Yes Yes
NC 16 As nominee of We the People Party Petitioning finished Yes Yes Yes Yes
ND 3 Yes Yes Yes
OH 17 Yes Petitioning finished Yes
OK 7 Yes Yes Yes
OR 8 Registration not required As nominee of Oregon Progressive Party Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
PA 19 Registration not required Yes Registration not required Yes
RI 4 Registration not required Yes Registration not required Yes
SC 9 As nominee of SC Workers Party As nominee of United Citizens Party Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
SD 3 Yes [ad] Yes Yes
TN 11 Yes Yes
TX 40 Yes Yes Yes Yes
UT 6 as Independent Yes Petitioning finished Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
VT 3 Registration not required Yes Registration not required Yes Yes
VA 13 Yes Yes
WA 12 Yes Yes
WV 4 Yes As the Mountain Party Yes Yes
WI 10 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
WY 3 Registration not required Yes Yes Registration not required Yes Yes
PSL
Cruz/Garcia
Total states + DC
(write-in)
4
(9)
8
(7)
5
(8)
13
(7)
51 21
(8)
38
(5)
51
Total electors
(write-in)
23
(70)
60
(60)
36
(62)
126
(59)
538 256
(62)
384
(50)
538
Ref. [45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55]

Ballot access in three states or fewer, nominee named[edit]

Ballot access in three states or fewer, nominee expected[edit]

The following parties are expected to run a candidate for President and Vice President, or have done so in the past.

Controversies[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Chris Christie Maine qualification controversy[edit]

Former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie failed to make the Maine primary ballot, as he did not submit the required 2,000 signatures to the Secretary of State by the November 20 deadline. Christie attempted to appeal the decision, but the Maine Superior Court upheld the secretary's ruling.[66]

Democratic primary[edit]

Florida controversy[edit]

On November 30, 2023, the Florida Democratic Party only submitted Joe Biden's name to the secretary of state. Candidates can be placed on the ballot either by petition, or having the party submit their name to the secretary of state.[67] As his name was the only one on the ballot, the Democratic primary was cancelled under Florida law. Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips heavily criticized the decision, stating "Americans would expect the absence of democracy in Tehran, not Tallahassee."[68] A lawsuit attempting to place Phillips as well as Marianne Williamson and Cenk Uygur candidates was lost in district court.[69]

Tennessee controversy[edit]

Tennessee secretary of state Tre Hargett only certified Joe Biden's name for the Democratic primary ballot.[70] Dean Phillips's petition to be placed on the ballot was rejected, as he did not collect enough valid signatures.[71] As voters are still able to vote for Uncommitted as well as write-in candidates, the primary still took place.[72] Joe Biden won the Tennessee primary against Uncommitted by 84 points.[73]

Democratic primary[edit]

The following is a table for which candidates have received ballot access in which states. Yes indicates that the candidate was on the ballot for the primary contest, Dropped indicates that the candidate was a recognized write-in candidate, and No indicates that the candidate did not appear on the ballot in that state's contest. Maybe indicates that a candidate withdrew before the election but was still listed on the ballot. If a state does not appear in the table, the filing deadline in the state has not passed.

Ballot access in the 2024 Democratic presidential nominating contests
Contest Date Biden Palmer Williamson Phillips Others Uncommitted[ah] Ref
New Hampshire[ai] Jan 23 Write-in Yes Yes Yes Yes[A] No [74][75]
South Carolina Feb 3 Yes No Yes Yes No No [76]
Nevada Feb 6 Yes Yes Yes No Yes[B] Yes [77]
Michigan Feb 27 Yes No Yes-withdrawn Yes No Yes [78]
Alabama Mar 5 Yes No No Yes No Yes [79]
American Samoa Yes Yes No Yes No No [80]
Arkansas Yes No Yes Yes Yes[C] No [81][82]
California Yes No Yes Yes Yes[D] No [83][84]
Colorado Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[E] Yes [85]
Iowa[aj] Yes No Yes Yes No Yes [86]
Maine Yes No No Yes No No [87]
Massachusetts Yes No Yes Yes No Yes [88]
Minnesota Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[F] Yes [89]
North Carolina Yes No No No No Yes [90]
Oklahoma Yes No Yes Yes Yes[G] No [91]
Tennessee Yes No No No No Yes [92]
Texas Yes No Yes Yes Yes[H] No [93]
Utah Yes No Yes Yes Yes[I] No [94]
Vermont Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[J] No [95]
Virginia Yes No Yes Yes No No [96]
Hawaii Mar 6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[K] Yes [97]
Democrats Abroad[al] Mar 12 Yes No Yes No No Yes [98]
Georgia Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn No No [99]
Mississippi Yes No No No No No [100]
Northern Mariana Islands[al] Yes Yes Yes Yes-withdrawn No No [101]
Washington Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn No Yes [102]
Arizona Mar 19 Yes Yes Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes-withdrawn[L] No [103]
Illinois Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes-withdrawn[M] No [104]
Kansas Yes Yes Yes Yes-withdrawn No Yes [105]
Ohio Yes No No Yes-withdrawn No No [106]
Louisiana Mar 23 Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes[N] No [107]
Missouri Yes Yes Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes[O] Yes [108]
North Dakota Mar 30 Yes Yes Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes[P] No [109]
Connecticut Apr 2 Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes-withdrawn[Q] Yes [110]
New York Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn No No [111]
Rhode Island Yes No No Yes-withdrawn No Yes [112]
Wisconsin Yes No No Yes-withdrawn No Yes [113][114]
Alaska Apr 13 Yes No No No No No [115]
Wyoming Yes Yes Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes[R] Yes [116]
Pennsylvania Apr 23 Yes No No Yes-withdrawn No No [117]
Puerto Rico Apr 28 Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn No No [118]
Indiana May 7 Yes No No No No No [119]
Maryland May 14 Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn No Yes [120]
Nebraska Yes No No Yes-withdrawn No No [121]
West Virginia Yes Yes No Yes-withdrawn Yes[S] No [122]
Kentucky May 21 Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn No Yes [123]
Oregon Yes No Yes No No No [124]
Idaho May 23 Yes Yes Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes[am] No [125]
District of Columbia Jun 4 Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes[T] No [126]
Montana Yes No No No No Yes [127]
New Jersey Yes No No No Yes[U] Yes [128][129]
New Mexico Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn No Yes [130][131]
South Dakota Yes No Yes Yes-withdrawn Yes[V] No [132]
Delaware None[an] [133][134]
Florida [135]
Total possible delegates 3,920 481 2,740 3,398 Armando Perez-Serrato: 1,144
Stephen Lyons: 839
Frankie Lozada: 765
1,396


Republican primary[edit]

The following is a table for which candidates have received ballot access in which states. If a state does not appear in the table, the filing deadline in the state has not passed.

Yes indicates that the candidate was on the ballot for the primary contest
Dropped indicates that the candidate was a recognized write-in candidate
No indicates that the candidate did not appear on the ballot in that state's contest.
Maybe indicates that a candidate withdrew before the election but was still listed on the ballot.