Answers · Third parties

Why don't third-party candidates get into the big debates?

By Mert Yerekapan, maker of Midterms 2026 · Updated 2026-10-28

Mostly because organizers set entry rules, usually based on polling, and a candidate without media attention can't poll high enough. Without a spot on stage they can't get more attention. It's a catch-22, and it's debated whether it's fair.

How the rules work

For the biggest presidential debates, a nonprofit called the Commission on Presidential Debates sets the criteria. In recent cycles, that has included a polling threshold, about 15 percent in national polls, plus being eligible for the office and showing a path to enough electoral votes to win.

For congressional races, there's no national body. Local hosts, such as TV stations, newspapers, universities or civic groups, decide who to invite, often with their own thresholds. Those rules vary a lot, and a lot depends on the candidates agreeing to appear.

The catch-22

Here's the problem, as I see it:

To poll at 15 percent, voters need to know you exist
To be known, you need airtime, and debates are the best airtime
Without a debate invite, polls don't move

Supporters of the thresholds say a debate stage can't hold every candidate, and a threshold is a simple, public way to decide. Critics say the threshold is high, and polls often leave out lesser-known candidates or lump them under "other".

Ross Perot, the exception

Ross Perot was included in the 1992 presidential debates. He had money, a huge media presence and strong early polling. That's a rare mix, and it shows what it took to break through.

What small candidates do instead

Hold their own events and livestreams
Target local races, where debate rules are looser and hosts are friendlier
Push for lower thresholds or other criteria, like ballot access in many states
Use social media and podcasts to reach people directly

I'd argue the last two are why local races are the better place for a new party to start. Local hosts often just want a lively debate.

A small taste of it in the game

You won't find debates in my free iPhone game Midterms 2026, but the attention problem is there. As a new party, you can go on TV to get your name out, hold rallies in states you're targeting, and meet citizens to answer their problems. Spend too little and nobody knows you. Spend too much in the wrong place and the Democrats and Republicans run attack ads where you get close.

What I would do

Organizers use polling thresholds that favor already-known candidates
Local debates are easier to get into than national ones
New parties often win attention locally first