Debate venue officials have reportedly been instructed to draw up plans to include a potential third candidate

Could the Libertarian Candidate Finally Be Invited to the Presidential Debates? Gary Johnson Inches Closer to Qualifying

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton may have to share the presidential debate stage.

Venues hosting the upcoming debates have been instructed to make plans for a potential third podium, as Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson inches closer to qualifying for a spot on the stage, Politico reports.

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Producers working for the Commission on Presidential Debates issued the directive to the venues to make sure they’re prepared for the possibility of a third-party candidate – like Johnson or Green Party nominee Jill Stein – being invited to participate in the debates.

“With Gary Johnson polling in some places more than double digits, they might have, some of our production people may have said, ‘Just in case, you need to plan out what that might look like,’ ” Mike McCurry, co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates told Politico. “We won’t know the number of invitations we extend until mid-September.”

In order to participate in any of the three upcoming presidential debates, Johnson would have to secure 15 percent in polls. He currently stands at around 8 percent, The New York Times reports.

Green Party candidate Stein is polling at 4 percent, according to an NBC News/Survey Monkey poll.

For his part, Johnson remains optimistic that he will win the opportunity to take on Trump, 70, and Clinton, 68.

“There SHOULD be a 3rd podium on the stage,” the former New Mexico governor tweeted on Tuesday, including a link to Politico’s report.

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In an effort to reach the 15-percent mark, Johnson has launched the “#15for15” campaign urging supporters to donate $15 to “get Gary Johnson in the debates,” according to his website.

The presidential debates will take place on Sept. 26 at Hofstra University in New York; Oct. 9 at Washington University in Missouri and Oct. 19 at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in Nevada.