Robin Sanders, a resident of Ann Arbor, says he will attempt to be an independent gubernatorial candidate in Michigan in 2014. Michigan is one of eight states in which no independent candidate for Governor has ever appeared on the ballot. See this story. Sanders will need 30,000 signatures.

Michigan didn’t have statutory procedures for independent candidates to get on the ballot until 1988. Between 1976 and 1988, many independent candidates got on the Michigan ballot by going to court. Also, in 1986, the state let any independent candidate for any office get on the ballot, just by request. However, no one seemed to want to be an independent candidate for Governor during those years.