Final answer:
The percentage of registered voters' signatures required for a candidate to gain access to the ballot varies by state, with California needing 5-8% and Oklahoma nearly double that amount for laws and constitutional amendments respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to gain access to the ballot, candidates from all parties must submit petitions signed by a certain percentage of registered voters, which varies by state. For instance, in California, candidates need to collect signatures amounting to 5 percent for laws and 8 percent for constitutional amendments of the votes in the last gubernatorial election. In contrast, Oklahoma requires candidates to obtain nearly double the amount of California, at 8 percent for laws and 15 percent for constitutional amendments. The number of signatures may equate to hundreds of thousands depending on the state's voter turnout in the previous gubernatorial elections.
Campaigning either through party nominations or independent petitions can be a rigorous process, with varying rules and deadlines across states. This challenge, coupled with other voter registration elements such as the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act, has implications on the overall landscape of voter turnout and the ease of placing initiatives and candidates on ballots.