Professor Andrea Campbell, who teaches Government 1352: "Campaigns and Elections," says there are many restrictions that limit third parties.
The most convincing argument against third parties is "the wasted vote" theory. Because of the single member plurality system used in the United States, the only way a candidate can get any electoral college votes is by winning a majority of votes in a state.
"Unless you have a geographical concentration of voters, a third party candidate won't get any electoral college votes," Campbell says.
Ross Perot, who won 19 percent of the popular vote in 1992, did not receive any electoral college votes.
Campbell says citizens usually do not vote for a candidate who they believe has little chance of winning.
"It can be a vote to express an opinion, or a protest vote, but it will not likely be for a winner," Campbell says.
And Buchanan has more concrete struggles to worry about.
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