Presidential races

Libertarians secure spot on all 50 state, DC ballots

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Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson on Tuesday announced he will appear with running mate Bill Weld on presidential ballots in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

“With a majority of Americans wanting a choice other than Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, today we know for certain that on Election Day, every voter in America will have that alternative option,” he said in a statement.

{mosads}“And today we also know that the only other option on every American voter’s ballot will be myself and Gov. Weld,” added Johnson, the former GOP governor of New Mexico.

Johnson on Tuesday praised “thousands of volunteers, thousands of contributors and activists [in] every state” for helping the Libertarian ticket get national ballot eligibility.

“Gaining ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia is a monumental task, as evidenced by the fact that we will be the only ticket after the Republicans and Democrats to do so.”

Rhode Island was the last remaining state to open ballot access to the Libertarian ticket, according to the party’s website.

Johnson has repeatedly argued his ticket has an avenue to the presidency because of Clinton’s and Trump’s unpopularity.

Clinton, for example, earns a roughly 55 percent unfavorability rating in the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.

Trump, meanwhile, fares even worse, scoring approximately 59 percent unfavorability in the same national index.

Johnson and Weld’s participation in the presidential debates remains another obstacle for their campaign, however.

The Commission on Presidential Debates requires third-party presidential tickets to reach 15 percent in an average of five polls it has selected.

The Libertarian ticket is presently polling around 9 percent, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of samplings.

Johnson and Weld insist participating in the presidential debates is vital to their chances at the Oval Office.

The first contest is scheduled for Sept. 26 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

Updated 7:41 p.m. 

Tags campaigns Donald Trump Gary Johnson Hillary Clinton libertarians Politics third-party

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