Ralph Nader’s decision to run for President has some Missourians asking what the consumer advocate-turned-politician must do to get his name on this state’s ballot.
Ryan Hobart with the Secretary of State’s Office says Nader or any other person wanting to run as an independent candidate must collect 10,000 valid signatures from Missouri voters and submit those signatures to the Office by July 28th. He adds running as an independent might be a little easier than running as a candidate from a party that does not have official status in Missouri. In those cases the party must take steps to get on the ballot, as well. The Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian Parties enjoy established party status in Missouri.
Nader ran as a Green Party candidate in Missouri in 2000, picking up 38,515 votes – 1.6-percent of the votes cast. In 2004, Nader picked up 1,294 votes – less than 1 percent of the total, as a write-in candidate.
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