US Election 2020: The Other 1,214 Candidates Running for President

In the US Election history, George Washington has only been elected president as an independent candidate. The United States has had different presidents for more than 230 years. Presently, the only twin peaks of the US political party, the Republic, and the Democratic party have dominated the media coverage and campaign, that the probability of other parties winning is zero.

However, some parties and individuals overlook those odds and still run for the United States president.

As of 9 October, 1,216 candidates (of varying levels of seriousness) have filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president.

The BBC interviewed three of the independent candidates running for president. The three candidates discussed what they stand for and why they deserve the votes of Americans.

• Jade Simmons, a concert pianist, and motivational speaker.
• Mark Charles, a Native American IT technician, and
• Brock Pierce, a crypto billionaire.

US Election Independent Candidate: Jade Simmons, a Concert Pianist, and Motivational Speaker

She described herself as an unconventional candidate, “but these are unconventional times,” she said. “This seemed to me to be a time when we couldn’t afford to do business as usual,” she said. “I’m the daughter of a civil rights activist, and the way my father raised me was that if you see voids, if you see injustices, you need to ask yourself if that might be you that needs to be leaning in.”

“We think it’s abominable that it costs now almost a billion dollars to run for president when the qualifications are that you are 35 years old, a US-born resident, and have lived here 14 years,” says Ms. Simmons. “We’d rather spend that money on helping people.”

Jade Simmons’ name will appear only on the ballot in Oklahoma and Louisiana, and in the other states, if voters write her name down, their vote will count because she registered as a write-in candidate.

Also, Jade Simmons is a multi-hyphenated woman. A former beauty queen, professional concert pianist, motivational speaker, rapper, mother, and ordained pastor.

US Election Independent Candidate: Brock Pierce, a Crypto Billionaire

Block Pierce talked about why he is running for the presidency. He said, “I think that we lack a real vision for the future – I mean, what kind of world do we want to live in, in the year 2030? What is the plan? Where are we trying to get to, you know? You have to aim for something. And I see mostly just a lot of mud being thrown around, not many people putting forth game-changing ideas. It’s getting scary. And I have a view of what to d”.”

Mr. Pierce is a tech entrepreneur who is probably a cryptocurrency billionaire, and also he has focused on philanthropic work in Puerto Rico for the last four years.

The 39-year-old man said, “I have many liberal tendencies, just like I have conservative tendencies. And I think it’s time we take a collective breath and a brave step into the future because all of these ideologies have something to teach you”.”

Brock Pierce has spent $3.7m on his campaign, says he is planning on taking a single state in a close race, then forcing the House of Representatives to pick a winner.

He continued, “Every time that this has happened before, 100% of the time, they’ve always chosen the third-place or last-place candidate to be president as a compromise. Noit’s’sNoit’s’s only happened once – 1824. And so our goal is to win a single state. And if we knock it out of the park, to win three.

“I turn 40 in November, which means I also have time on my side. And so we are also laying the groundwork for the future – not just for me as a candidate, but for all independent candidates going forward”,” he remarked.

US Election Independent Candidate: Mark Charles, a Native American It Technician

Mark Charles has worked as a computer programmer and tech support. His goal is to be an alternative candidate for voters who support Donald Trump or Joe Biden.

He resolved to reach outwards and foster understanding instead of growing bitter. Now he says he’s fighting for a truly inclusive, modern America which rejects inequality.

“Our Constitution, which starts with the word’ ‘We the people ‘e’ […] never mentions women, it specifically excludes Natives, and it counts Africans as three-fifths of a person,” says Mr. Charles.

“And so this is what my campaign is all about: if we want to be a nation where we the people truly mean all the people, we have to do some foundational-level work. We can’t’ t just say it and wish it was so: we have to go in and change some things that this nation was founded on, such as the racism, the sexism, and the explicit white supremacy”,” he said.