Every election cycle, someone asks:

“If most Americans don’t like the major party candidates, why doesn’t someone just run as an independent?”

We answer that question in the latest episode of the Independent Voter Podcast—and it’s not pretty.

This is the first installment of our new series, How It Really Works, and it pulls back the curtain on a system that’s built to shut out competition. Our guest, Cara McCormick, has been in the trenches of election reform for decades, and she lays out the seven structural barriers that make running for president as an independent nearly impossible.

Think 865,000 signatures in six months. $20 million just to get on the ballot. No access to major fundraising platforms or voter data. Good luck finding a political consultant willing to work for you.

And even if you do everything right? You’re still likely shut out of the debates.

We also revisit the campaigns of Ross Perot and RFK Jr.—two very different candidates who ran straight into the same wall.

Whether you lean red, blue, or somewhere in between, you should know how running for President REALLY works.

Listen now to “Running for President as an Independent: How It Really Works” on OlasMedia.com or your favorite podcast app.

‍