In November, Texas voters might get to vote for a candidate called 'Literally Anybody Else' if his unusual plan to shake up the two-party system picks up steam. Dustin Ebey, a math teacher and military vet, recently decided to switch his name to 'Literally Anybody Else'. Now, he's hustling to gather 113,151 signatures needed to run as an independent candidate on Texas ballots, as per a report by WFAA News.
"I am not delusional," Else stated to the outlet. Doing this will definitely be a challenge, but it is definitely within reach. I would love to see Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and any other candidate right below them," he expressed. He went on to explain that he desires an alternative for people like him who are tired of the ongoing struggle for power between the two parties, which does not seem to benefit the average person.
"It is not really about me... more like an idea," Else explained to WFAA. "There is definitely room for improvement when it comes to selecting our president from a pool of 300 million individuals."
Many Americans are not happy about the prospect of a Trump/Biden rematch. According to a NewsNation poll conducted in January, a majority of registered voters expressed a lack of enthusiasm about the prospect of seeing the pair compete for the presidency again. However, even though many people in both parties were hoping for new candidates, Trump managed to secure victory over his Republican opponents in the recent primaries, while Biden did not face any significant competition from fellow Democrats.
Else has a challenging road ahead just to get in the race. He has a deadline of May 13 to gather 113,151 signatures from eligible voters who did not participate in the Republican or Democratic primaries in Texas. Now that he is accomplished this, he will need to repeat the achievement in every other US state and territory, as they all have similar rules for independent candidates.
If that does not work out, he could consider registering as a write-in candidate. However, he would then need to establish a strong presence across the country and persuade voters to actually choose 'Literally Anybody Else' on election day. In the history of the United States, no write-in candidate has ever come close to winning the presidency. However, there have been two instances since the 1950s where write-in candidates were successful in winning a seat in the US Senate.
In the 2020 election, some voters decided to have a little fun or make a statement by writing in the names of undeclared candidates. Surprisingly, popular choices included 'Mickey Mouse', 'Jesus Christ', and 'Batman', each receiving a small number of votes.
"I am not delusional," Else stated to the outlet. Doing this will definitely be a challenge, but it is definitely within reach. I would love to see Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and any other candidate right below them," he expressed. He went on to explain that he desires an alternative for people like him who are tired of the ongoing struggle for power between the two parties, which does not seem to benefit the average person.
"It is not really about me... more like an idea," Else explained to WFAA. "There is definitely room for improvement when it comes to selecting our president from a pool of 300 million individuals."
Many Americans are not happy about the prospect of a Trump/Biden rematch. According to a NewsNation poll conducted in January, a majority of registered voters expressed a lack of enthusiasm about the prospect of seeing the pair compete for the presidency again. However, even though many people in both parties were hoping for new candidates, Trump managed to secure victory over his Republican opponents in the recent primaries, while Biden did not face any significant competition from fellow Democrats.
Else has a challenging road ahead just to get in the race. He has a deadline of May 13 to gather 113,151 signatures from eligible voters who did not participate in the Republican or Democratic primaries in Texas. Now that he is accomplished this, he will need to repeat the achievement in every other US state and territory, as they all have similar rules for independent candidates.
If that does not work out, he could consider registering as a write-in candidate. However, he would then need to establish a strong presence across the country and persuade voters to actually choose 'Literally Anybody Else' on election day. In the history of the United States, no write-in candidate has ever come close to winning the presidency. However, there have been two instances since the 1950s where write-in candidates were successful in winning a seat in the US Senate.
In the 2020 election, some voters decided to have a little fun or make a statement by writing in the names of undeclared candidates. Surprisingly, popular choices included 'Mickey Mouse', 'Jesus Christ', and 'Batman', each receiving a small number of votes.
