Politics, as we’ve always known it, will be dead after this election cycle. It is not a question of whether the major parties break apart, but more a question of when. The margin of victory in 2016 will likely be less than the percentage of votes going to third parties, just as it has been in many state races around the country (like those in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida).
The VCA (Voters’ Choice Act) aims to extend to independents, the fastest growing electorate in Pennsylvania, and third party candidates the same criteria needed to be placed on the ballot as Republican and Democratic. Currently there exists a large disparity in the number of nomination signatures needed for independents to get on the ballot compared to the quantity needed by members of the Republican and Democratic Parties. The challenge period — the span of time following the submission of nomination petitions during which they may be contested — is also more onerous for independents. Successfully defending against such a challenge often delays an official entry onto the November ballot until late into the election cycle, thus diminishing the impact on the electoral process by independent and third party office-seekers.