In Colorado, all you need is $500 and you’re in. In Texas, you must gather 74,000 signatures from registered voters within 75 days  and none of them can have voted in the last party primaries.

In Oklahoma, it is more difficult: Your nomination papers must be signed by about 44,000 people  the equivalent of 3 percent of the votes cast in the last presidential election. And those collecting the names must be from Oklahoma.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, eyeing an independent presidential bid, faces a hodgepodge of local requirements to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The mayor’s aides are confident that he can do it, and that he would deploy armies of paid signature-gatherers nationwide if he runs. The foot soldiers are typically paid about $2 for every signature collected, though sometimes higher if their services are in heavy demand.