Ballotpedia:Defining noteworthy presidential candidates (2020)
This article discusses Ballotpedia's approach to defining noteworthy candidates in the 2020 presidential election. More than 1,000 presidential candidates filed with the Federal Election Commission, and Ballotpedia used the following criteria throughout the election cycle to determine who is noteworthy:
These standards helped identify which candidates are viable to receive delegates throughout the primary process or win the Electoral College in the general election.
Candidates given the noteworthy designation receive increased coverage, including the creation of a campaign overview page and inclusion in Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing.
Click here to learn how we defined noteworthy candidates in the 2024 presidential election
General election criteria
To be considered noteworthy in the general election, candidates had to appear on enough ballots—totaling at least 270 electoral votes—to win a majority of the Electoral College.
Primary election criteria
Candidates had to meet at least one of the following criteria to be identified as noteworthy during the primary election. A candidate may lose his or her noteworthy designation as the election proceeds.
Candidate credentials
Candidates who held or formerly held elected office as a member of Congress, governor, state executive, state legislator, or mayor of a city with a population of 100,000 or more were considered noteworthy.
Polling
Candidates who met the polling criteria for at least one Democratic presidential primary debate were considered noteworthy.
Ballot access
Candidates who previously demonstrated the ability to file for 15 or more primary ballots were considered noteworthy.
Fundraising
To remain viable throughout the election, a candidate must be able to financially support campaign operations in a multi-state primary. Initial fundraising criteria followed the Democratic National Committee's guidelines for debate qualifications. As of March 3, 2020, candidates who did not meet one of the above criteria must have raised at least $10 million to be considered noteworthy. Self-funding candidates were included.
Activity on the campaign trail
If a candidate met any of the above criteria but has not campaigned outside of his or her home state in the past 30 days, the candidate might have lost his or her noteworthy status.
Noteworthy presidential candidates in the 2020 presidential election
The following candidates met these criteria in the 2020 general presidential election.
- Donald Trump (R) and Mike Pence (R)
- Joe Biden (D) and Kamala Harris (D)
- Howie Hawkins (G) and Angela Nicole Walker (G)
- Jo Jorgensen (L) and Spike Cohen (L)
External links
See also
- Ballotpedia: Defining noteworthy presidential candidates (2024)
- Ballotpedia: Our definition of candidacy
- Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
- Ballotpedia:Our approach to covering primary elections
- Ballotpedia's editorial independence policy
- Editorial approach to story selection for the Daily Presidential News Briefing
Footnotes
