Ballot access requirements for political parties in Michigan
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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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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.
To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Michigan, see this article.
Process for a political party to obtain ballot status
See statutes: Michigan Election Law, Section 168.685
Political organizations seeking status as political parties must petition the secretary of state for recognition. In addition to the requisite petition, the chairperson and secretary of the state central committee of a prospective party must file a certificate signed by both the chairperson and the secretary indicating the name of the party. This paperwork must be submitted to the secretary of state by 4:00 p.m. on the 110th day preceding the general election.[1][2]
Petitions must contain signatures equaling at least 1% of all votes cast for governor at the most recent gubernatorial election. Additionally, party organizers must collect at least 100 signatures in each of at least one-half of the state's congressional districts.[1][2]
All signatures must be obtained no more than 180 days prior to the date of filing the petition with the secretary of state. Signatures collected before that time will not be counted. A decision regarding the sufficiency of the petition will be made no later than 60 days prior to the general election.[1][2]
Maintaining party status
In order to maintain qualified status, a party's principal candidate (i.e., the party's candidate who receives the greatest number of votes of all candidates fielded by the party in a particular election) must win at least 1% of the total number of votes cast for the successful candidate for secretary of state in the most recent election for that office. A party that fails to meet this requirement must petition again for state recognition.[1]
Political parties
As of May 2024, there were seven recognized political parties in Michigan.[3]
| Party | Website link | By-laws/platform link |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party of Michigan | Link | Party platform |
| Green Party of Michigan | Link | Party platform |
| Libertarian Party of Michigan | Link | Party by-laws |
| Natural Law Party of Michigan | Link | Party platform |
| Republican Party of Michigan | Link | Party platform |
| U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan | Link | Party platform |
| Working Class Party of Michigan | Link |
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See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Michigan
- Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Michigan
- List of political parties in the United States
- Democratic Party of Michigan
- Republican Party of Michigan
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Justia, "MI Comp L § 168.685 (2024)," accessed July 8, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Michigan Department of State, "Petition Manual: New Political Party Qualification," accessed July 8, 2025
- ↑ Michigan Department of State, "Petition Manual: New Political Party Qualification," accessed May 14, 2024
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