November ballot for president more crowded than voters realize
By Abraham Kenmore
SCDailyGazette.com
COLUMBIA — With Vice President Kamala Harris formally becoming the Democratic nominee for president and selecting her running mate this week, voters’ choices between the major parties are clear.
However, when South Carolina voters go to cast their ballot — whether in 90 days on Election Day itself or sometime during early voting — they’ll have a lot more than two parties to pick between.
Beyond Harris leading Democrats’ ticket and former President Donald Trump as Republicans’ nominee, there will likely be six other parties on South Carolina’s ballot for president. Finding your choice may take a minute.
This year, the list will start with the Constitution Party and end with the Workers Party. It’s not because the parties are in alphabetical order. Republican and Democrat are listed fourth and seventh, respectively.
Rather, to eliminate any seeming preference, the South Carolina Election Commission rotates the list of all participating parties every two years, with the party at the top dropping down to the bottom.
More recognizable minor-party presidential candidates include Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running under the Alliance Party banner.
That’s the party co-founded in 2013 by former state Superintendent Jim Rex — the last Democrat in statewide office — and Dr. Oscar Lovelace, who unsuccessfully challenged the re-election of Gov. Mark Sanford in the 2006 GOP primary, as an alternative to the polarizing two-party system.
Launched as the American Party, it joined with independent parties in other states in 2018 to become the national Alliance Party.
Unlike in other states, including neighboring North Carolina, where Kennedy’s effort to get on the ballot has faced legal challenges, it wasn’t a problem in South Carolina.
The Kennedy campaign initially explored the possibility of being a petition candidate in the Palmetto State, according to John Michael Catalano, spokesman for the state Election Commission.
But that became unnecessary after Kennedy approached Alliance Party leaders, including Rex, the national chair emeritus.
When Kennedy signed a letter saying he would abide by the party’s principles — which include being honest and transparent and working for people, not special interests — the party put him on the ballot, said Keisha Long, state chairwoman since 2022.
“Back in March, we weren’t sure he was a good fit, to be totally honest,” Long said. “And then … we really started looking at his platform. But more importantly, we revisited our values and what we say we value, and he was willing to adhere to our principles.”
Progressive activist Cornel West is on the United Citizens ticket in South Carolina.
The former Harvard professor, author and philosopher of African American studies had planned to run as the Green Party candidate in 2024 but decided last fall to run as an independent instead.
Back on the ballot as the Green Party nominee is Jill Stein, who also ran unsuccessfully for president in 2016 and 2012. Stein received about 1% of the popular vote nationally in 2016, but many Democrats faulted Stein as taking votes away from Hillary Clinton and helping Trump win in swing states.
In South Carolina, Stein received less than 1% in 2016, coming in fifth in a seven-way field won by Trump, who won with 55% over Clinton’s 41%.
In 2020, there were five presidential contenders on South Carolina’s ballot, which Trump again won by 55%.
This year’s Democratic ticket was finalized following a five-day virtual roll call that formally made Harris the nominee, the Democratic National Committee announced late Monday. She announced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on Tuesday.
Trump officially accepted the Republican nomination last month, selectingOhio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate.
South Carolina does not allow write-in candidates for president or vice president.
The state does have a petition process for presidential candidates. They can get on the ballot without the backing of a party if they collect at least 10,000 signatures from active, registered South Carolina voters by July 15.
But no one did that this election cycle.
Abraham Kenmore is a reporter covering elections, health care and more. He joins the S.C. Daily Gazette from The Augusta Chronicle, where he reported on Georgia legislators, military and housing issues.
S.C. Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
