Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Green Party approved for Wisconsin presidenti­al ballot

- Molly Beck

MADISON – The Wisconsin Elections Commission approved a request late Thursday to allow Green Party candidates to appear on the 2024 election ballots, joining other third-party candidates that could chip away at Democratic President Joe Biden’s vote totals in the upcoming presidenti­al election.

Wisconsin is one of just a handful true swing states in the nation where statewide races are often decided by just a few thousand votes.

A Green Party candidate could make a difference in another close election. In 2016, Green Party presidenti­al candidate Jill Stein received more than 31,000 votes in Wisconsin, votes that many believe could have helped Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Former President Donald Trump won Wisconsin by a little more than 22,000 votes during the 2016 election.

In 2020, the Wisconsin Supreme Court kept Green Party presidenti­al candidates Howie Hawkins and running mate Angela Walker off the ballot — upholding a deadlocked elections commission, which could not agree on whether to put the candidates on the ballot because of improper paperwork.

The Green Party has not yet put forward its party’s nominee.

In a Marquette University Law School poll released this week, the Green Party was supported by 4% of respondent­s. Trump led the pack with 40% with Biden trailing by 3% at 37%.

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