--- title: American Voters Never Really Go for the Third Party description: Democrats shouldn't freak out about a third party spoiler in the 2024 election cycle, writes Joshua Spivak canonical: https://time.com/6275529/american-voters-third-party-2024/ author: Joshua Spivak article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-05-02T11:00:53.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:23:03.664Z article:section: Ideas og:title: American Voters Never Really Go for the Third Party og:description: Democrats shouldn't freak out about a third party spoiler in the 2024 election cycle, writes Joshua Spivak og:url: https://time.com/6275529/american-voters-third-party-2024/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf87de85307159e95/698a3c7216d8840708c3bc94/GettyImages-1252169956.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-BIDEN-ECONOMY og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: American Voters Never Really Go for the Third Party twitter:description: Democrats shouldn't freak out about a third party spoiler in the 2024 election cycle, writes Joshua Spivak twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf87de85307159e95/698a3c7216d8840708c3bc94/GettyImages-1252169956.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # American Voters Never Really Go for the Third Party > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0f36e9df-2756-41ac-ac7a-8ad6aab6bc03&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0f36e9df-2756-41ac-ac7a-8ad6aab6bc03&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=0f36e9df-2756-41ac-ac7a-8ad6aab6bc03&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0f36e9df-2756-41ac-ac7a-8ad6aab6bc03&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Here's Everyone Who Has Announced a 2024 Presidential Run [Watch (HLS stream): Here's Everyone Who Has Announced a 2024 Presidential Run](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lYTX1L8y.m3u8) (3:02)  _Published 2023-05-24. Here is every major candidate who has announced they are running for U.S. president in 2024._ by [Joshua Spivak](https://time.com/author/joshua-spivak/) ## Joshua Spivak May 2, 2023 11:00 AM UTC Here is every major candidate who has announced they are running for U.S. president in 2024. by [Joshua Spivak](https://time.com/author/joshua-spivak/) ## Joshua Spivak May 2, 2023 11:00 AM UTC With President Joe Biden’s official [launch](https://time.com/6274324/biden-2024-relection-bid/) of his reelection campaign, Democrats have voiced concerns about a third party run that could cut into his support in key states and cost them the presidency. One new contender, the [No Labels](https://www.npr.org/2023/04/26/1171937810/no-labels-arizona-ballot) political organization, has locked up ballot spots in a number of states in 2024, and names such as Maryland Governor Larry Hogan have been attached as potential candidates. But despite the $70 million being poured into the [No Labels effort](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/07/no-labels-unity-presidential-ticket-centrist-group-2024-00072712), we shouldn’t be fooled by this shooting star. Voters certainly aren’t. It’s not just that a third party, especially one with no history of success and no national figure, has almost no hope of actually winning a race. Even the spoiler potential is overhyped, at least for 2024. Throughout American history, the two major parties have proven to be exceptional at garnering Presidential votes. In 17 of the 24 elections since 1924, the two parties topped 98 percent of the vote. There have been only four elections in that span where the Democrats and Republicans did not combine to capture at least 94.1 percent of the vote – and two of those were Ross Perot’s runs in 1992 and 1996 (the other two were 1968 and 1980). In four of the seven races where the parties got less than 98 percent, third party runs are seen as having played an important, or potentially decisive role, as spoilers. Ralph Nader’s 2000 Green Party run likely cost Al Gore Florida’s electoral votes and the presidency itself. Ross Perot’s 1992 campaign, which took 19 percent of the vote, may have proved a fatal blow to George H.W. Bush’s reelection chances. In 1968, George Wallace’s strong performances in the southern states, including being the last non-major party to capture an Electoral College vote, definitely knocked the presidential race off-kilter, though it is possible that he took more votes from the eventual winner, Republican Richard Nixon, than from Democrat Hubert Humphrey. For good reason, 2016, when 94.1 percent voted for Democrats or Republicans, may be most on people’s minds. That year saw several significant runs, though again it is very unclear that it would have changed the results. Green Party candidate Jill Stein siphoned off votes, presumably from Hillary Clinton, and that may have damaged her race in key states. At the same time, though it has received less attention, the Libertarian Party candidate former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson managed to take more than three times what Stein received nationwide. An independent candidate, Evan McMullin, won 21.5% of the vote in Utah, though even that was not enough to cost Donald Trump the state. But what may be much more important for 2024 is how the voters reacted to the shock of a strong third party or independent run. They did not rally around the idea and build momentum for a third party movement in future elections. Instead they recoiled and saw that what may have been a protest vote instead helped elect the candidate that they truly disliked. The numbers from the succeeding elections tell the tale. The big third party boomlet was from 1992-2000\. But third party performances fell each year. In 1992 during Perot’s first run, the Democrats and Republicans only got 80.4 percent of the vote. In 1996, they got 89.9\. In 2000, during Nader’s critical run, they got 96.3\. But Nader taught voters a strong lesson. The following three elections saw the two parties combine to get 99, 98.5 and 98 percent of the vote. Past third party over performances saw the same results for at least two elections. 1980, when John Anderson got 6.6 percent of the vote and Reagan and Carter combined for a mere 91.4 percent, was followed by the two parties winning 99.4 and 99.1 percent respectively. 1968, where Nixon and Humphrey only got 86.1 percent, was followed by two elections with the major parties combining for over 98 percent of the vote. This pattern goes back further in U.S. history, as third (and fourth) party candidates managed to keep the two major participants to only 94.4 percent in 1948\. In the succeeding four elections, the two parties never dropped below 99.2 percent of the vote. Even the most famous third party run, the 1912 election where Theodore Roosevelt managed to come in second in the presidential race and the two main parties combined for only 65 percent of the vote, saw a bounce back in the following two elections to over 94 percent of the vote in each. What explains the reversion back to the two parties? Perhaps voters are willing to register their protest vote when they think the election is a walk for one party or when they feel that specific election will not have much of an impact on policy, but once they see otherwise they retreat back to the two parties.With interest in politics sky high, as seen by impressive turnout numbers, and with the country locked in a bitter division in political ideology, we can expect that old patterns will continue. Voters will likely not be looking to take a gamble that their third party vote won’t simply help the candidate they most object to. Instead, we should expect that discussion for the No Labels and any other party to be a flash in the pan moment, as voters stick to the main event in the ongoing Blue v. Red political fight. ## Transcript [00:10] My fellow citizens. [00:11] America's comeback starts right now. [00:19] And when you kick back, it hurts them more. [00:22] If you're wearing heel, I'm Nikki Haley and I'm running for president, [00:26] run for president of the United States. [00:31] This isn't just a political campaign. [00:33] This is a cultural movement to create a new American Dream [00:37] for the Next Generation leader. [00:43] Those who don't even care about all the suffering is going [00:46] on out there and those who do not have the moral courage [00:49] to fix it. [00:50] I'm inviting all of you to join me. [00:52] Be proud of again. [00:56] I'm Robert F Kennedy, Junior and I'm running for president [00:59] of the United States. [01:02] My mouse. My Tucker is at me now seeing that I'm running [01:05] for the presidency of the United States on your program and thank [01:08] you so much for giving me this honor in this platform. [01:11] Let's finish this job. [01:13] I know we gave his, this is the United States of America [01:17] has nothing to do with nothing. [01:18] We cannot do it together. [01:20] That's why I'm running for re-election as the United States [01:24] because I know that the best of America is ahead of us. [01:31] I'm announcing today. [01:35] But I'm running. [01:37] For president. [01:39] Call the United States. [01:42] Mobile network. [01:46] I'm Ron DeSantis and I'm running for president to lead our Great [01:52] American comeback. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6275529/american-voters-third-party-2024/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6275529/american-voters-third-party-2024/"},"headline":"American Voters Never Really Go for the Third Party","datePublished":"2023-05-02T11:00:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T07:23:03.664Z","description":"Democrats shouldn't freak out about a third party spoiler in the 2024 election cycle, writes Joshua Spivak","url":"https://time.com/6275529/american-voters-third-party-2024/","keywords":["politics","freelance","Biden Administration"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf87de85307159e95/698a3c7216d8840708c3bc94/GettyImages-1252169956.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joshua Spivak","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/joshua-spivak/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf87de85307159e95/698a3c7216d8840708c3bc94/GettyImages-1252169956.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-BIDEN-ECONOMY","caption":"TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-BIDEN-ECONOMY","creditText":"Jim Watson—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/politics/","name":"politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6275529/american-voters-third-party-2024/","name":"American Voters Never Really Go for the Third Party"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Here's Everyone Who Has Announced a 2024 Presidential Run","description":"Here is every major candidate who has announced they are running for U.S. president in 2024.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/lYTX1L8y/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-05-24T22:34:52.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lYTX1L8y.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/6275529/american-voters-third-party-2024/","duration":"PT3M2S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/6275529/american-voters-third-party-2024/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```