The District of Columbia petition requirement for independent presidential candidates, and the presidential nominees of unqualified parties, is 4,667 valid signatures. That is substantially higher than it was in 2008, when it was 3,907. The formula is 1% of the current number of registered voters.

Between 1964 and 1972, the requirement was 5% of the number of registered voters. Congress lowered it to the current formula in 1973.

Besides the Democratic and Republican Parties, the only party that is ballot-qualified in D.C. is the Green Party, which is called the Statehood Green Party. In 2008, the only successful presidential petition in D.C. was Ralph Nader’s independent petition.