Jefferson City, MO— Jared Young clears the hurdle today to be on the November 5th ballot for U.S. Senate with the collection and submission of 25,000 petition signatures from registered Missouri voters around the state. Young avoids a primary by running as an Independent in a quest to bring a moderate conservative voice to both the Missouri and national political scenes. With his submission of signatures, he clears the required 10,000 signatures by a comfortable margin and gives hope to the 43% of Missouri voters that claim no affiliation with either of the major parties — voters who want a candidate willing to shed party loyalty in order to do what’s best for our country.
“The major parties create obstacles for candidates outside of their system,” said Young. “The requirement to collect 10,000 signatures from registered voters using an inefficient and costly process is the largest [of these obstacles]. We’re happy to have it behind us so we can now focus all of our effort and resources on getting our message out to the Missouri voters who are longing for something truly different.”
According to polling by the independent polling firm, Y2 Analytics, 70% of Missouri voters say they are open to voting for an independent or third-party candidate in this year’s U.S. Senate election.As announced on April 9, 2024, the petition signatures secure ballot access not only for Young but also for other independent candidates in various state races through the creation of the Better Party. The new party opens a way to field moderate, quality candidates in Missouri not only in this election, but in future elections as well. The documents submitted to the Secretary of State today include ballot access for Young and for one other candidate – Blake Ashby – who will be running for the U.S. House of Representatives in District 1 on the November ballot.
“I have been following Jared’s campaign from the beginning and have been impressed with both his message and his determination to provide better options for Missouri voters,” said Ashby. “As a political candidate who believes that our representatives should be more accountable to voters rather than their party, I appreciate that Jared has provided a way for me and other independent candidates to gain ballot access.”
The signatures submitted today will be verified by staff at the Office of the Secretary of State over the coming weeks to ensure the signatures are valid. Once verified, Young and Ashby will be available as moderate, common-sense options for the November 5th election. “This is a great day for voters in Missouri,” reports Young. “Under the umbrella of a Better Party, the exhausted and ignored majority of voters takes back control of our politics.”
