Election officials in Virginia have put the finishing touches on the presidential ballot this year, which will have five choices for voters.
Everybody knows Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be on the ballot. But those are just the first two choices.
Voters will also have a choice of Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein plus another candidate. Independent Republican Evan McMullen will be on the ballot. Robert Denton and Virginia Tech says that could help Republicans.
“And so if he micro-targets, that is if he targets certain geographic areas, certain districts, he might help down ballot for Republicans to finally come out and vote for a more solid Republican with credentials."
Stephen Farnsworth at the University of Mary Washington says one Republican in particular stands to gain by having McMullen on the ballot.
“The candidates like Barbara Comstock who might be more vulnerable than any other Republican incumbent in Virginia right now, she would be able to get perhaps some people turning out who might otherwise not turn out."
The latest poll of Virginia voters, which was conducted by Emerson University last week, has the race virtually tied with Clinton at 44 percent and Trump at 43 percent. Johnson has support from 11% of the voters in Virginia and Stein has 3%. That poll was taken before McMullen qualified for the ballot.
