1. Nine presidential candidates are each on more than 10 state ballots
2. Explore Maine elections
3. Explore Missouri elections

Nine presidential candidates are each on more than 10 state ballots

The requirements to qualify for a ballot vary widely across the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Although over one thousand candidates technically declared with the FEC an intent to run for office, 36 candidates will appear on at least one ballot in 2020.

The 36 unique candidates is more than the 31 presidential candidates who also appeared on at least one ballot in 2016.

Three candidates are appearing on the ballot in all 51 jurisdictions:

• Former Vice President Joe Biden (D)
• Jo Jorgensen (L)
• President Donald Trump (R)

Green Party presidential nominee Howie Hawkins is on the ballot in 30 states.

Five other candidates are on the ballot in more than 10 states:

• Don Blankenship (Constitution), 18 ballots
• Brock Pierce (Independent), 16 ballots
• Gloria La Riva (Party for Socialism and Liberation), 15 ballots
• Roque De La Fuente (Alliance), 15 ballots
• Kanye West (Independent), 12 ballots

The states with the most presidential candidates on the ballot are Vermont and Colorado, where voters can choose from 21 options. The next largest presidential ballots are Arkansas and Louisiana with 13 candidates each. Twelve states have only three candidates on the ballot. Only Joe Biden (D), Howie Hawkins (G), Jo Jorgensen (L), and Donald Trump (R) are on enough states’ ballots to receive the 270 electoral votes needed to be elected president.

In 2016, Colorado had the most candidates on the ballot with 22. Louisiana followed with 13 candidates.

Excluding unaffiliated, independent, and nonpartisan candidates, there were 37 parties represented on the ballot in 2016 and 36 represented in 2020.

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Explore Maine elections

Welcome to week four of our 50 States in 25 Days series! Today, let’s jump in with Maine and Missouri. Here are the states we've highlighted so far, along with a map below summarizing where we are in the series:

Week One: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Texas, North Carolina, Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio, Nebraska, and Oregon

Week Two: Montana, New Mexico, Iowa, South Dakota, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, and South Carolina

Week Three: North Dakota and West Virginia, Georgia and New York, Kentucky and Virginia, Colorado and Utah, New Jersey and Oklahoma

On the ballot in Maine

At the federal level, Maine voters will elect four presidential electors, one U.S. Senator, and two U.S. Representatives. Both chambers of the state legislature are on the ballot, with all 35 seats up in the state Senate and all 151 voting seats in the state House.

Partisan data

• In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) defeated Donald Trump (R) 48% to 45% in Maine. Clinton won the state’s first congressional district, while Trump won the other. The Democratic candidate has won Maine in each of the last seven presidential elections. The last Republican candidate to win the state was George H.W. Bush in 1988.
• Maine is one of 34 states with at least one Pivot County—the state has eight. Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012, then voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. 
• Maine's senior U.S. Senator, Susan Collins, is a Republican. Its junior Senator, Angus King, is an independent. He is one of two independent U.S. Senators, along with Bernie Sanders from Vermont.
• Maine's two U.S. Representatives are Democrats.
• Maine's governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are Democrats, meaning Maine is one of 17 Democratic triplexes. It has held this status since 2019. 
• Democrats have a 21-14 majority in the state Senate and an 87-56 majority in the state House. Since Maine's governor is a Democrat, the state is one of 15 Democratic trifectas. It has held this status since 2019, when Democrats gained control of the state Senate and the governor's office. Before that, it had been under divided government.

Battleground races

Here are two battleground elections in Maine in 2020:

• U.S. Senate in Maine: According to Roll Call, incumbent Susan Collins (R), who defeated Shenna Bellows (D) 67% to 31% in 2014, is the fifth-most vulnerable senator up for re-election this year. Collins, Sara Gideon (D), and five other candidates are running. Collins has been in office since 1997, and Gideon is speaker of the state House. 
• Maine's 2nd Congressional District: Incumbent Jared Golden (D), Dale Crafts (R), and two write-in candidates are running. Golden defeated incumbent Bruce Poliquin (R) in 2018 51% to 49%. It was the first time in U.S. history ranked-choice voting was used to decide a congressional race.

Ballot measures

• There are no statewide measures on the Nov. 3 ballot in Maine. Maine voters decided one measure on March 3 and two measures on July 14.

Voting

• Maine changed its rules in 2020 to extend the mail-in pre-registration deadline from Oct. 13 to Oct. 19. 
• Maine does not require witnesses or notaries to sign voter absentee/mail-in ballot return documents.
• Absentee/mail-in ballots can be returned in person or by mail. In both cases, ballots must be received by the time polls close on Nov. 3.
• In the 2018 general election, absentee/mail-in ballots represented 28.4 percent of all ballots cast in Maine.
• By executive order, counties can begin processing absentee/mail-in ballots as early as Oct. 27. 
• Maine does not require most voters to present identification at the polls. 
• Early voting opened on Oct. 5 and closes on Oct. 30.
• In Maine, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Maine is in the Eastern time zone.

Explore Missouri elections

On the ballot in Missouri

At the federal level, Missouri voters will elect 10 presidential electors and eight U.S. Representatives. The offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and treasurer are up for election. Both chambers of the state legislature are on the ballot, with 17 out of 34 seats up in the state Senate and all 163 state House districts. One seat on the state supreme court and six intermediate appellate court seats are on the ballot. Voters will also decide on two statewide ballot measures. Ballotpedia is tracking local elections taking place in four counties and in nine school districts.

Partisan data

• In 2016, Donald Trump (R) defeated Hillary Clinton (D) 57% to 38% in Missouri. Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win the state in 1996.
• Missouri is one of 16 states without a Pivot County. Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016.
• Both of Missouri’s Senators—Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley—are Republicans.
• Republicans represent six of the state's U.S. House districts and Democrats represent two.
• Missouri’s governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all Republicans, meaning it is one of 19 states with a Republican triplex. It has held this status since the 2016 elections.
• Republicans have a 23-8 majority in the state Senate and a 113-48 majority in the state House. Because the governor is also a Republican, Missouri is one of 21 states with a Republican trifecta. Republicans gained a trifecta when they won control of the governorship in the 2016 election.

Battleground races

Here are two battleground races in Missouri this year:

• Governor: Incumbent Mike Parson (R), Nicole Galloway (D), Jerome H. Bauer (G), and Rik Combs (L) are running. Parson is running for his first full term after succeeding to the governorship following Eric Greitens’ (R) resignation in 2018. Galloway is the only Democrat to hold statewide elected office as the state auditor.
• 2nd Congressional District: Incumbent Ann Wagner (R), Jill Schupp (D), Martin Schulte (L), and write-in Gina Bufe (I) are running to represent this St. Louis-area district. Wagner was first elected in 2012. She was re-elected 51% to 47% in 2018, down from her 59% to 38% win in 2016.

Ballot measures

• Missouri voters will decide two statewide measures on Nov. 3.
• The legislature referred both constitutional amendments to the ballot. Amendment 1 establishes a two-term limit for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, and attorney general. Amendment 3 would eliminate the nonpartisan state demographer, which a successful 2018 ballot initiative created. It would make governor-appointed bipartisan commissions responsible for legislative redistricting.

Voting

• Missouri changed its rules in 2020 to permit any registered voter to cast a mail-in ballot in any 2020 election.
• Missouri requires most voters to have their mail-in ballots notarized. Exceptions are made for individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 and those at higher risk for contracting the virus.
• Mail-in ballots must be returned by mail. Ballots must be received by Nov. 3 in order to be counted. Return procedures for mail-in ballots are the subject of ongoing litigation. Click here to learn more.
• In the 2018 general election, mail-in ballots represented 8.3 percent of all ballots cast in Missouri.
• In Missouri, officials can begin processing mail-in ballots on Oct. 29. Counting can begin on Nov. 3. 
• Missouri requires all voters to present non-photo identification at the polls. For more information about Missouri's voter ID requirements, click here. 
• In Missouri, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Missouri is in the Central time zone.

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