Political party designation

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Ballot access policy
Voting policy
Redistricting policy
Election dates
Election agencies
Election terms

## Contents

* 1 States that allow designations
* 2 States that do not allow designations
* 3 See also
* 4 Footnotes

A political party designation is used when a candidate qualifies to run for office as an independent but desires that a different label be printed next to his or her name on the ballot.

Some states only allow candidates to use an officially recognized political party name on the ballot. Other states allow candidates to designate any label they choose, so long as it is not too similar to that of an existing party.

Political party designations have not qualified as official political parties in states and would therefore not be entitled to primaries.

## States that allow designations[edit]

There are 22 states that allow candidates to use political party designations other than those of officially recognized parties in non-presidential elections.[1]

* Alaska
* Arizona
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Georgia
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kentucky
* Maine
* Massachusetts
* Minnesota
* Montana
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New York
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* Wisconsin

## States that do not allow designations[edit]

There are 28 states, and Washington D.C., that do not allow candidates to use political party designations other than those of officially recognized parties in non-presidential elections.[1]

* Alabama
* Arkansas
* California
* Delaware
* Florida
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Kansas
* Louisiana**
* Maryland
* Michigan
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Mexico
* North Carolina
* North Dakota**
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Washington, D.C.
* West Virginia
* Wyoming

**Note: Louisiana and North Dakota allow presidential candidates to choose a label other than of an officially recognized political party. These states do not allow candidates for other offices to identify in this way.[2]

## See also[edit]

* Ballot access for major and minor party candidates
* Party labels

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 These lists were compiled from state-by-state research conducted by Ballotpedia in April 2021.
2. ↑ Email consultation with ballot access expert Richard Winger in January 2014.

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Ballot access for major and minor party candidates

Ballot access requirements by state|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • Washington, D.C. • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

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Background|

State election agencies • List of political parties in the United States • Ballot access for minor party candidates • Signatures needed for independent candidates to qualify for United States House of Representatives elections, 2014 • Third party officeholders

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Court cases|

Williams v. Rhodes (1968) • Bullock v. Carter (1972) • Lubin v. Panish (1974) • Storer v. Brown (1974) • Illinois State Board of Elections v. Socialist Workers Party (1979) • Anderson v. Celebrezze (1983) • Norman v. Reed (1992) • U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton (1995)

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Terms|

Political party designation

Election information

Resources

Sample Ballot Lookup • Elections calendar • State poll opening and closing times • Ballot access for major and minor party candidates • Elections by state and year • State voter ID laws • Absentee voting • Early voting • Online voter registration • Election result canvassing • Where do I vote • List of absentee/mail-in ballot request websites by state • List of official voter registration websites by state • State of Election Administration Legislation Reports

Elections
by state

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

2026 elections

U.S. Congress • U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2025 elections

U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2024 elections

U.S. President • U.S. Congress • U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2023 elections

U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2022 elections

U.S. Congress • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2021 elections

U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

How to vote
in each state

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • Washington, D.C. • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

v • e

Election policy

Voting policy|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

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Ballot access for state and federal candidates|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

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Ballot access for political parties|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

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Ballot access for presidential candidates|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

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Redistricting|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

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