ProCon.org Criteria for Inclusion as a Presidential Candidate - 2012 Presidential Election

Last updated on: 4/3/2012 3:53:50 PM PST

ProCon.org Criteria for Inclusion as a Presidential Candidate

Below are the criteria ProCon.org uses to determine which presidential candidates we include on our website 2012 Election ProCon.org. To be included on our site, a presidential candidate must:

File all of the proper paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and receive an FEC "Candidate ID" number.

Have active campaigns operating in more than one state. Suspended campaigns will be considered inactive.

Exceed $250,000 in individual campaign contributions (excluding his/her own contributions) according to the FEC, and/or win his/her national political party (Constitution, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, and Republican – the five national parties whose candidates received over 100,000 votes in the 2008 presidential election) nomination for US president.

File the proper FEC paperwork on time: quarterly if the candidate's campaign has less than $100,000 and monthly if it has more than $100,000.

Candidates must continually meet all of the above criteria. We will add those candidates who meet these criteria, and we will stop updating the profiles of candidates who no longer do.

Because we believe that it is in our readers' interests for ProCon.org to have the best and most transparent criteria, we may adjust and refine our inclusion methodology with future improvements.

On Apr. 3, 2012, we adjusted criteria #3 above to raise the amount needed in individual campaign contributions from $100,000 to $250,000.

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