The Libertarian National Committee’s Ballot Access Committee is seeking up to $115,000 for 2026 petition drives, including for a state auditor campaign in Massachusetts that the committee says could help secure the party’s presidential ballot access in the state for 2028.
The report, shared this week to the LNC’s public Business List, presented the committee’s 2026 ballot access priorities and identified Massachusetts as its top new funding request. The committee is asking the LNC to encumber $45,000 to help place Charlie Larkin, a Libertarian candidate running for Massachusetts auditor, on the ballot.
Larkin, a former chair of the Unified Libertarians of Massachusetts, the official state affiliate of the LNC, needs 5,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot. Unlike incumbent Auditor Diana DiZoglio, who announced earlier this year that she is running for reelection as a Democrat, Larkin can collect signatures from voters of any party affiliation.
In its report, the committee argued that the Massachusetts race presents a lower-cost path to future ballot access because a presidential petition drive in 2028 would require 10,000 valid signatures, twice the number needed for the auditor race, and cost roughly twice as much.
The race also presents a unique opportunity, as the MassGOP held its state convention last month without a candidate securing the 15% delegate support needed to appear on the primary ballot, effectively leaving the race without a Republican nominee.
“[Larkin] is running in a race with no Republican, and so is virtually guaranteed to receive the 3% needed to secure Presidential ballot access for 2028,” the report states.
The report states that the request was approved by the Ballot Access Committee without objection on April 23. The committee also asks that the money be encumbered as soon as possible and distributed as requested by Ballot Access Coordinator Bill Redpath.
If Larkin qualifies and receives at least 3% of the vote later this year, the Libertarian designation would again regain party status in Massachusetts, allowing an official Libertarian Party State Committee to be organized that would formally control the party’s ballot access. Members of the new state committee would then be elected on the 2028 presidential primary ballot.
A similar situation followed the 2022 election, when Cris Crawford, affiliated with what was then called the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts, appeared on the ballot as a Libertarian and received 23% in a two-way race for treasurer. That result led to the creation of a formal Libertarian Party State Committee made up of members from both the Unified Libertarians and the Libertarian Association. The committee placed Libertarian presidential nominee Chase Oliver on the Massachusetts ballot in 2024, but was dissolved by the state after the party failed to retain ballot access.
In addition to Massachusetts, the report identifies two additional funding requests that would depend on the party recruiting candidates capable of meeting relevant state vote thresholds. One would provide $35,000 for either an Iowa or Washington, D.C., ballot drive, while the other would provide another $35,000 for other state ballot drives more generally under the same conditions. The report adds that Iowa could begin as soon as it nominates a candidate, while petitioning in D.C. cannot begin until June.
Maryland is also identified as an action area, though it is kept separate from the new funding requests because the LNC previously approved $15,000 for the state party’s petition drive.
According to the committee, Maryland has collected 6,500 gross signatures, and the remaining $28,000 in state party funds combined with the LNC contribution are expected to bring the drive to about 12,500 signatures. The committee said no additional Maryland funding is being requested at this time, though more LNC money will likely be needed later this year.
Beyond its more specific petition funding requests, the committee said the Libertarian Party is already on the ballot for president in 22 states in 2028 and is likely to retain access in seven more.
It also plans to explore lobbying and other legal options in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, New York, and Virginia, along with options related to petitioner access, including at post offices. The report adds that Minnesota has further requested fundraising and petitioning assistance to qualify three statewide candidates, with the state party estimating that it needs help collecting 2,500 of the 7,500 signatures required.
The Libertarian National Committee is now discussing the report.
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