Can third parties receive electoral votes?

Question

I have always wondered if a third party candidate won the popular vote of any particular state, would they be able to receive the electoral votes for that state? And if not, is the electoral votes just reserved for a Democrat or Republican candidate?

Answer 1

of course they would. The electoral votes or for whoever won the state. Well with the exception of states that have fractional electorals.

Answer 2

As a first point, electoral votes are casted by a group of individuals who run in each state to be electors.

Second, for the established political parties in a state (which in all states include the Democratic Party and the Republican Party and in many states include one or more other parties -- with the Green Party and Libertarian Party being most common), the parties submit the names of their candidates for electors at the same time that they forward the names of their presidential and vice presidential nominee. For new parties and independent candidates, they include the names of their electors at the same time as they file their petitions to have their party placed on the ballot.

Third, depending on the state, the ballot may just list the presidential and vice-presidential candidate or may include the names of the electors running on that ticket. However, regardless of whether the electors are listed on the ballot, a vote for a presidential candidate is actually a vote for that candidate's slate of electors.

Finally, in most states, the slate that finishes first overall gets all the electoral votes. In a handful of mostly small states, they elect two electors statewide and one additional elector in each congressional district -- but again in each area it is winner take all. The electors then meet in early December to actually cast their vote and typically vote for the candidate that they are pledged to support (but sometime one or two electors in the entire nation will vote for someone else -- typically an elector for the losing candidate).

If a third party managed to win a state (or in a state that does it by congressional district, a particular congressional district), that party's proposed electors would be elected and could vote for that party's presidential candidate. It has been a while though since a third party has won a state.

It should be noted that the Constitution does anticipate and contain provisions for a situation in which no candidate gets a majority of electoral votes. It should further be noted that the rules on the choosing of electors is entirely a matter of state law. The Constitution does not expressly recognize political parties and merely directs that electors will be chosen by state legislatures. In turn, the state legislatures have delegated that role to the voters via the system described above.

Answer 3

Yes, and they have. George Wallace ran as a third party candidate in 1968 and won quite a few electoral votes. I think the libertarian party got one electoral vote from Colorado (a state that allowed splitting of its electoral votes) a few elections back.

Answer 4

Of course third parties can. But they must have a concentrated vote within a region or focus on a couple of states and win those states. It's not easy but can be done. Anyway, I hope we have a Perot-like candidate for '08 that can win many states. If only the electoral vote allocation were different, then we'd see something. Thanks!

Answer 5

yes they can.. the votes go for the person who has the most votes.. there is not a specific party that is needed. it just is the 2 partys we have are powerfull and have alot of backing and support.. but i think this will change here soon if the people in washington don't start listening to what the people of this country want