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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.

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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.