HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) – With the 2024 presidential election a month away, everyone is going to be keeping an eye on the race for the White House and who will be elected the 47th president of the United States.
While everyone knows who the top two candidates in this election cycle are, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris, some might not know about the lesser-known names.
In the Tri-State, there are several third-party and independent, write-in candidates.
Indiana
-
Chase Oliver (Libertarian)
-
Known as the “most influential Libertarian by Rolling Stone, he’s well known for forcing a runoff election between Senator Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. Some key issues for Oliver are cutting government spending and advocating for widespread use of nuclear power.
-
Website – Chase Oliver for President
-
-
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Independent) (We The People)
-
A popular third-party candidate, RFK recently suspended his campaign and endorsed Republican challenger Donald Trump. Some big issues for RFK include to end forever wars, protect Constitutional rights and rid Washington of corruption.
-
Website – Kennedy24
-
-
Peter Sonski (Write-In) (American Solidarity)
-
Focused on a “political renewal” focused on the common good. Some key focuses for Sonski are peace and international solidarity and creating economic security.
-
Website – Peter Sonski 2024
-
-
Paij Boring (Independent)
-
Boring was a Republican candidate for the 2016 presidential election and lost as a write-in in the Republican convention on July 15, 2024. A couple of issues are to stop illegal entry from the southern border and empower Americans job growth.
-
Website – (opencampaign.com)
-
-
Cherunda Lynn Fox (Independent)
-
One focus is to update the education system to cost the taxpayer nothing and the national debt
-
Website – (foxforpresident.com)
-
-
Tom Hoefling (Independent)
-
Ran for president three times in the past. Focused on protected rights for all, defender of USA’s borders, national sovereignty and rule of law.
-
Website – (tomhoefling.com)
-
-
Shondra Irving (Independent)
-
Main goal is for everyone to become stable. Other focuses are raising social security, everyone having health care coverage and safety in schools via metal detectors.
-
Website – (change.org)
-
-
Doug Jenkins (Independent)
-
Vietnam War veteran focused on eradicating homelessness, establishing the County Civilian Cleanup & Conservation Corp. to focus on climate change and reforming the federal budget.
-
Website – Doug Jenkins for President 2024
-
-
André Ramon McNeil Sr. (Independent)
-
Cornel West (Independent)
-
Susan Maude Buchser (Write-In) (Other)
-
Claudia De la Cruz (Write-In) (Party for Socialism and Liberation)
-
Running to end capitalism by creating a new economy by seizing the biggest 100 corporations, overthrowing the “dictatorship of the rich, ending the rule of money and defending women’s rights and full equality for LGBTQ people.
-
Website – Claudia & Karina 2024
-
Kentucky
-
Jill Stein (Green Party) (Kentucky Party)
-
Ran for president as the Green Party candidate in 2012 and 2016. Three main focuses for Stein are the people, the planet and having peace.
-
Website – Stein / Ware 2024
-
-
Shiva Ayyadurai (Independent)
-
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Independent)
-
Chase Oliver (Libertarian)
-
Jay J. Bowman (Write-In)
-
John Cheng (Write-In)
-
Believes the government needs to serve all Americans. According to a profile, the campaign is spread by word of mouth, email and across social media. Focused on end deficit spending, eliminate the national debt and establish 12-year term limits.
-
Website – John Cheng for President
-
-
Cherunda Fox (Write-In)
-
André Ramon McNeil Sr. (Write-In)
-
Peter Sonski (Write-In)
Illinois
Voters in 13 states have less than a week to register. When is your deadline?
Carol Asher, William Cody Nalbach, Nala Baozun Scott Johnson Jr. and James D. Soderna also filed to be candidates, but very little information was available about them.
Differences between third-party candidates:
Green Party – According to their website, the Green Party connects to American social movements and is part of a global green movement that shares key values, including their Four Pillars: Peace and Non-Violence, Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy and Social Justice.
The Green Party also holds ten key values. Those values include:
-
Grassroots Democracy
-
Social Justice & Equal Opportunity
-
Ecological Wisdom
-
Maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of communities and the planet while supporting a sustainable society that utilizes resources that future generations will benefit. To accomplish, people must practice agriculture that replenishes the soil, move to an energy-efficient economy and live in ways that respect integrity of natural systems.
-
-
Non-Violence
-
Work to demilitarize and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments, recognizing the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in danger all while promoting non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies of disagreement.
-
-
Decentralization
-
Seeks a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system controlled by and benefitting a powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. They also believe that decision making should remain at the individual and local level as much as possible, assuring that civil rights are protected for all.
-
-
Community-Based Economics
-
Support redesigning work structures to encourage employee ownership and workplace democracy while supporting development of new economic activities and institutions that allow to use technology in ways that are humane, freeing, ecological and responsive and accountable to communities. Also supports establishing a form of basic economic security open to all while calling for moving beyond narrow “job ethic” to new definitions of “work”, “jobs” and “income”.
-
-
Feminism & Gender Equity
-
Respect for Diversity
-
Believe to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity and to promote development of respectful relationships.
-
-
Personal & Global Responsibility
-
Future Focus & Sustainability
-
Seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of all waste created, while developing sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival.
-
Libertarian – According to their website, Libertarians strongly oppose any government interference in personal, family and business decisions.
-
Taxes
-
Economy
-
Civil Liberties
-
Crime and Justice
-
Education
-
Foreign Policy
-
Healthcare
-
Gun Ownership
-
War on Drugs
-
Believe the War on Drugs in ineffective, unfair and immoral saying the war has imprisoned millions of non-violent people. Also believes the war has largely been responsible for the militarization of police forces, pitting police against citizens.
-
-
Immigration
-
Believe if someone is peaceful, they should be welcome to immigrate to the United States. Says the current system is an “embarrassment” where people who would like to follow the legal procedures are unable to due to length, cost and complexity.
-
Independent – Independents tend to not align exclusively with one party while may holding a variety of beliefs and values.
Independent candidates may choose to run for office because they do not agree with the policies or principles of major parties. However, according to pewresearch.org, most tend to lean toward a party while true independents tend to avoid politics.
Pew says according to a 2018 report, among the overall public, 38% describe themselves as independents, while 31% are Democrats and 26% call themselves Republican. Pew also says less than 10% of the public has no partisan leaning.
Other than candidates, what else is on the 2024 ballot?
How to fill out a ballot for a write in candidate:
If either top candidate doesn’t appeal to a voter, one might consider voting for a write in candidate, but how does it work? It varies from state to state, but in the Tri-State, the process is not too different.
Vanderburgh County Chief Deputy Clerk Marc said that in order for someone to vote for a write in candidate, they have to vote for someone that has submitted their intent and be certified. The next step is at the voting place itself.
“Once the voter arrives at the voting machine, and they select the write in option, a keyboard of sorts will appear. The voter will type in the name of their candidate of choice,” he said.
In Kentucky, the process is similar but using paper ballots.
“The voter will choose the write-in option and write in their candidate,” said Secretary of State Director of Communications Michon Lindstrom. “For the vote to count, the candidate has to have filed a declaration of intent to run as a write-in candidate.”
In Illinois, voters can vote for a write in candidate on a paper ballot or touch screen.
If one is casting via paper ballot, you write the name of the candidate on the line provided in a particular race and mark the corresponding oval.
On a touch screen, press the write in box at the bottom of the list of candidates. A keyboard will then appear to type a name using the keyboard.
Prospective write-in candidates must file paperwork with the county clerk or election authority in each jurisdiction where their name will appear on the ballot.
Election Day for the 2024 presidential election is November 5.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).
