Ballot access requirements for political parties in Pennsylvania

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Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • As of May 2024, Pennsylvania officially recognized four political parties: the Democratic, Green, Libertarian, and Republican parties.
  • In some states, a candidate may choose to have a label other than that of an officially recognized party appear alongside his or her name on the ballot. Such labels are called political party designations. Pennsylvania allows candidates to use political party designations.

    • To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Pennsylvania, see this article.

    DocumentIcon.jpg See state election laws

    Process for a political party to obtain ballot status

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    DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Article 8, Section 801 of the Pennsylvania Election Code

    A political party is recognized as such by the state when "one of [its] candidates at the general election next preceding the primary polled in each of at least 10 counties of the state not less than 2 percent of the largest entire vote cast in each of said counties for any elected candidate, and polled a total vote in the state equal to at least 2 percent of the largest entire vote cast in the state for any elected candidate."[1]

    Further, political parties whose "statewide registration is less than 15 percent of the combined statewide registration for all statewide political parties as of the close of the registration period immediately preceding the most recent November election" are classified as "minor political parties." Minor political parties are not eligible to participate in primaries and may only field candidates for the general election via nomination papers (see this article for more information).[2]

    Political parties whose statewide registration is 15 percent or greater of the combined statewide registration for all statewide political parties nominate their candidates for office via primary.[3]

    The relevant statutes do not establish a process whereby groups of voters may petition to be recognized as a political party. Instead, any group of voters that does not qualify as a political party is considered a "political body." Candidates running for office as affiliates of a political body may designate the body in no more than three words on their nomination papers. Political body designations will appear on the ballot alongside the candidate's name.[1][4][5]

    Political parties

    See also: List of political parties in the United States

    As of May 2024, there were four recognized political parties in Pennsylvania. [6]

    Party Website link By-laws/platform link
    Democratic Party of Pennsylvania Link
    Green Party of Pennsylvania Link Party platform
    Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania Link Party platform
    Republican Party of Pennsylvania Link Party platform

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pennsylvania Election Code, "Article 8, Section 801," accessed January 15, 2014
    2. ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "Article 9, Section 912.2," accessed January 15, 2014
    3. ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "Article 9, Section 901," accessed January 15, 2014
    4. ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "Article 9, Section 952," accessed January 15, 2014
    5. ↑ Pennsylvania Election Code, "Article 10, Section 1003," accessed January 15, 2014
    6. ↑ Pennsylvania Secretary of State," Voter Registration Application," accessed May 23, 2024
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