ballot access varies WIDELY by state
For the 2020 Presidential race, ballot access varied widely depending on the state you lived in. Some states had 3 candidates on the ballot, others had 21!!
3 candidates: 12 states
4 candidates: 8 states
5 candidates: 9 states
6 candidates: 8 states & DC
7 candidates: 3 states
8 candidates: 1 state
9 candidates: 5 states
13 candidates: 2 states
21 candidates: 2 states
Of course, the Democrats and Republicans were on the ballot in every state. For the other parties it depends on whether you have enough resources to fight 51 ballot access battles, each with its own rules and legal hurdles.
We think of a Presidential campaign as a national election, but it really isn't. It is 51 separate elections, the results of which are tallied by the Electoral College. Most states award all their Electoral Votes to a single candidate, whichever got the most votes in that state. Maine and Nebraska award their Electoral Votes by congressional district, which means in 2020 they each split their EVs between both Biden and Trump.
My own state of Maryland has voted consistently for the Democrat in every Presidential election since 1992, and I don't expect this to change in the foreseeable future, regardless of who gets on the ballot.
3 candidates: 12 states
4 candidates: 8 states
5 candidates: 9 states
6 candidates: 8 states & DC
7 candidates: 3 states
8 candidates: 1 state
9 candidates: 5 states
13 candidates: 2 states
21 candidates: 2 states
Of course, the Democrats and Republicans were on the ballot in every state. For the other parties it depends on whether you have enough resources to fight 51 ballot access battles, each with its own rules and legal hurdles.
We think of a Presidential campaign as a national election, but it really isn't. It is 51 separate elections, the results of which are tallied by the Electoral College. Most states award all their Electoral Votes to a single candidate, whichever got the most votes in that state. Maine and Nebraska award their Electoral Votes by congressional district, which means in 2020 they each split their EVs between both Biden and Trump.
My own state of Maryland has voted consistently for the Democrat in every Presidential election since 1992, and I don't expect this to change in the foreseeable future, regardless of who gets on the ballot.