Americans Elect must meet state requirements for signatures from registered voters to get a candidate on the ballot, says J. David Gillespie, a professor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina who studies third parties. As of early January, the group, aided by Peter’s son, Chief Operating Officer Elliot Ackerman, had ballot slots in 13 states, including California. Americans Elect hasn’t yet secured a place on the presidential ballot in Iowa, where Republicans held caucuses on Jan. 3 to select their nominee.
