And Then There Were Two...

And the rest of the above line is always do your homework before you vote!

Mainstream media would have you belive that as of Thursday, March 4, 2024 (just about one month ago) that there were two and only two presidential candidates here in the US. Nothing could be further from the truth.

(I did some research regarding the upcomming presidential elections and came up with the following items that most people do not know...)

The US is not a two party nation and there are more than just two presidential candidates. According to Ballotpedia.com as of 03/24/2024 there were thirty nine (39) political parties fielding one thousand, one hundred and fifteen (1,115) presidential candidates.

Next. On the federal or national level our so called two party system is a lot closer to the United Kingdom in power sharing and forming working majorities and coalitions than most people would realize. Just as London at times has to form a governing coalition among the different political parties there are times in Washington DC when the two or sometimes three major political parties has to form majorities or coalitions to govern. These three being the Republican, Democrat and Independent parties.

So, taking all this into account it would be safe to say that the US and the UK are two allies joined by a common history and a common language yet separated by common political systems.

Now, add this to the mix. There are different paths in which a presidential candidate can get on the ballot. According to Ballotpedia:

.An individual can seek the nomination of a political party. Presidential nominees are selected by delegates at national nominating conventions. Individual states conduct caucuses or primary elections to determine which delegates will be sent to the national convention.[1]

An individual can run as an independent. Independent presidential candidates typically must petition each state to have their names printed on the general election ballot.[1]

An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

If you are considering a presidential candidacy it would serve you to contact your national political party headquarters for option 1, state elections office for options 2 and 3.

Now, when it is time to close a campaign there are two options. One is to close a campaign outright. No more activities. Nothing. Period.

The other option is to suspend the campaign. In this sceniario, active campaigning is stopped. However, active fund raising for the purposes of paying off campaign debts can continue.

As for actually voting, most voters exercise that right by going to the polls on election day and voting. Others, myself included, vote by absentee ballot. For more information on options regarding when, where and how to vote please contact your local elections office.

For your further reference consider these online resources.

Campaigns & Elections (campaignsandelections.com) is a trade magazine covering political campaigns, focused on tools, tactics, and techniques of the political consulting profession.

?RealClearPolitics (realclearpolitics.com) is an American political news website and polling data aggregator. Displays up to date poll results, campaign news and opinions.

?The Federal Election Commission (fec.gov) is an independent agency of the United States government whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Provides information as to campaing receipts and expenses.

?Ballotpedia (ballotpedia.org) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. Includes a variety of campaign information including background, stands on the issues and social media connections.

I know this is a lot of information to consider. But then our nation's future is at risk. So please, do your due diligence, conduct some research, do your homework...any way you want to look at it. This election is all up to YOU!