Libertarian Party slowly rising in polls as alternative to Clinton and Trump

Theresa Beale originally started researching Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson because she didn't want to vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.
But, she said, the more she read about the issues Johnson and the Libertarians support, the more she liked them.

Now, she says she feels like she's voting in a positive way for a presidential candidate she agrees with, rather than simply voting against candidates she abhors.

"I have found myself very much leaning toward the Libertarian platform. I take the issues very seriously and research the platforms," she said.

Turns out, there are a lot of voters discovering the same thing. Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico, and running mate Bill Weld, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, are slowly climbing up the polls.

They land anywhere from 8 percent to 12 percent in various polls. Some polls have them leading among voters younger than 30.

That might not seem like much, but it is on the high side for the relatively obscure Libertarian Party, which believes in the smallest government possible.

When Johnson ran four years ago, he got less than 1 percent of the vote.

Furthermore, if Johnson's poll numbers can get to 15 percent, he will be eligible for the presidential debates, which will give him the most exposure he has ever gotten, potentially increasing his support.

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/libertarian-party-slowly-rising-in-polls-as-alternative-to-clinton/article_edef688d-ac71-507a-859e-aee319ca842c.html