© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Here's who's on ballots in the 7 states likely to decide the presidential election

By Benjamin Swasey,
Ashley Lopez
Published September 25, 2024 at 9:51 AM EDT
The Libertarian Party's Chase Oliver, seen here in 2022, appears on presidential ballots in seven key states.
Ben Gray
/
AP
The Libertarian Party's Chase Oliver, seen here in 2022, appears on presidential ballots in seven key states.

Updated September 27, 2024 at 18:18 PM ET

With polls showing the presidential election a toss up, the votes that third-party and independent candidates receive in key states could very well decide the White House.

Those vote shares could be small but determinative in an election likely to be decided on the margins.

People linked to the major parties know this, which is why they've spent recent months trying to boost candidates they believe could hurt the opposing major party, while trying to block candidates they think could hurt their own party's prospects.

It's also why Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after ditching his independent presidential bid and endorsing Donald Trump, tried to get off ballots in battleground states.

Despite his efforts, RFK remains on ballots in Michigan and Wisconsin.

This year’s presidential election is also an example of how it's easier for established third parties to secure a spot on a state’s ballot, compared with independent candidates or minor political parties. Both the Libertarian and Green parties have their candidates on ballots in several swing states.

Loading...

Copyright 2024 NPR
Tags
NPR Top Stories
Benjamin Swasey
Ben Swasey is an editor on the Washington Desk who mostly covers politics and voting.
See stories by Benjamin Swasey
Ashley Lopez
Ashley Lopez is a political correspondent for NPR based in Austin, Texas. She joined NPR in May 2022. Prior to NPR, Lopez spent more than six years as a health care and politics reporter for KUT, Austin's public radio station. Before that, she was a political reporter for NPR Member stations in Florida and Kentucky. Lopez is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and grew up in Miami, Florida.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

Donate

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

Related Content