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WEBVTT N PARTY. PREPORTER: ON JUNE 7 OF THIS PYEAR, ONLY DEMOCRATS AND PREPUBLICANS MADE THEIR WAY TO PTHE POLLS TO PICK THEIR PARTY'S PNOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT, BUT T PLIBERTARIANS, LED BY FORMER NEW PMEXICO GOVERNOR GARY JOHNSON ARE PSET TO CRASH THAT TWO-PARTY PPARTY, P>> IT'S A MONUMENTAL CHANGE PGOING FORWARD. PIT WOULD MEAN MATCHING FEDER PFUNDS, TO THE TUNE OF $$10 PMILLION FOR THE NEXT LIBERTARIAN PPRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE. PREPORTER: THOSE DOLLARS ARE PAVAILABLE IF JOHNSON HITS 5% PNATIONWIDE, RECLASSIFYING THE PLIBERTARIANS AS A MAJOR PPOLITICAL PARTY. PGOVERNOR JOHNSON SAYS THAT P10:$00 MILLION IS ESPECIALLY PSIGNIFICANT BECAUSE P>> IF YOU WERE AN INDEPENDENT PRIGHT NOW, RUNNING FOR PPRESIDENT, IT'S ABOUT A $$ PMILLION PROPOSITION TO GET O PTHE BALLOT IN ALL FIFTY STATES. PREPORTER: EVEN IF THE PLIBERTARIANS DON'T GET 5% OF THE PVOTE NATION WIDE ON ELECTION PNIGHT THE PARTY COULD GET MAJOR PPARTY STATUS IN NEW MEXICO I PJOHNSON GETS 5% OF THE VOTE PSTATEWIDE AND RIGHT NOW IN THE PSTATE HE'S POLLING AT 20. PBUT THE PARTY WOULD NEED TO PICK PUP ABOUT 800 MORE MEMBERS STATE PWIDE, TO QUALIFY, SOMETHING PSTATE REPS ARE CONFIDENT THEY'LL PGET P>> BECAUSE OF GARY JOHNSON'S PCANDIDACY, WE ARE RECEIVING A PLOT OF PUBLICITY. PPEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT US. PREPORTER: REPORTING IN

Advertisement Gary Johnson could have big impact on Libertarian party's future Leaders hope strong finish in presidential race could lead to "major party" status Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Voters may see another major party on the ballot in the next presidential election, and New Mexico’s former governor could be the reason why. Libertarian party officials say if Gary Johnson earns at least 5% of the popular vote in the presidential race, they will earn "major party" status and qualify for matching federal funds of up to $10 million. That, officials say, should be enough to ensure that the Libertarian presidential candidate in 2020 appears on the ballot in all 50 states. Johnson and his Libertarian running mate Bill Weld have been running at anywhere from 3% to 10% among likely voters in recent national polls. Johnson has said he hopes to win at least one state’s electoral votes, and believes his best chances are in states like New Mexico, Colorado, the Dakotas and Alaska. In a recent interview with ABC News, Johnson reiterated his belief that if he were to win New Mexico’s five electoral votes, it could create a scenario in which neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump earns enough electoral votes to win the election. The House of Representatives would then choose the next president, with each state getting one vote. Johnson says in that scenario, he believes he could be seen as the "compromise candidate" and end up in the White House.