Wait, There Are More Than Two Political Parties?

image
Created: 24 Feb, 2017
Updated: 21 Nov, 2022
1 min read

That's right. Your options are not limited to McDonald's and Burger King -- there are all sorts of burger joints in the mix.

Food metaphors aside, modern politics does in fact offer more than the blue and red sides. While the 2016 presidential election's "lesser of two evils" narrative inspired some to apathy, it also pushed many to consider those third parties, and provided more third party candidates than we've seen in a century.

Now, to be clear, while the political parties below exist, none have achieved automatic ballot access in all 50 states for state elections -- yet.

The following third parties have access in at least 10 states for the upcoming 2018 election:

In addition to the above, there are 22 more third parties with ballot access in 1-4 states each, making it easy to join a third party, find political consonance, and send a message to the major parties.

According to a 2016 Pew study, only 29% of American voters were Republican and 33% were Democrat - leaving 34% independent. Pew reported that of the independents surveyed 44% "lean Republican" and 48% "lean Democrat," but did not give them the option to consider a third party.

The political options of the day seem limited, increasingly oppositional, and unrepresentative of the electorate. Third parties, as varied as they come, could be the answer to the political dissonance many appear to feel with the major parties.

Latest articles

Image of the White House.
LISTEN: Running for President as an Independent -- How it Really Works
Think about the leaders with bold visions you’ve wanted to vote for, the ones with the best ideas who have the potential to transform American politics. Most never stand a chance, regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum....
30 Apr, 2025
-
1 min read
Cnannabis and CBD oil
Sen. Padilla Pushes, But DEA Nominee Terry Cole Won’t Commit to Cannabis Rescheduling
During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 30, DEA administrator nominee Terrance Cole declined to commit to the proposed federal rescheduling of cannabis, leaving a critical policy question unresolved as the process transitions to new leadership under the Trump administration....
30 Apr, 2025
-
3 min read
Nurse standing in front of a backdrop that shows a blank map of California and a blank map of Mexico.
Cross-Border Healthcare: A Complex Problem Meets a Bipartisan Solution
While healthcare in California has seen massive investments in coverage and access, these gains often mean little to border residents who split time, family, or even residency across two countries...
30 Apr, 2025
-
2 min read