Final answer:
State election laws can make it challenging for minority parties and independents to get on the ballot to uphold the current two-party system by imposing strict petition requirements and other barriers that affect voter participation and competition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Some states make it more difficult for minority party members or independents to get on the ballot to maintain the dominance of the two major political parties and limit competition. These rules often include onerous petition requirements for independents or third-party candidates, who must gather a large number of signatures to qualify for ballot access—a challenging task for parties with smaller support bases. Furthermore, certain election laws such as voter ID requirements, restriction of early voting, and stringent registration systems, have been associated with lower voter turnout and disproportionately affect minority and low-income voters.
Additionally, the structure of U.S. elections, which are mostly winner-take-all, discourages potential candidates of third parties as they face an uphill battle against well-established parties with vast resources. These institutional barriers perpetuate a two-party system, discourage minority party participation, and can result in a lack of representation for various political, ethnic, or regional interests. The dynamics of partisan battles over ballots also reflect strategies that parties use to either push for or hinder changes in voting rights based on their political interests.