Gene Amondson is running for president of the United States, but he isn’t even voting for himself.

Amondson is the candidate for the Prohibition Party, one of many political parties besides the Democratic and Republican parties submitting a nominee in this year’s election.

Each state creates its own conditions for candidates to gain ballot access. Washington, Amondson’s current state, will not feature his name on the state ballot. Instead, his name will appear on three state ballots: Colorado, Louisiana and Florida.

Some experts argue that third party candidates will have a diminutive influence if there is a massive turnout.

“We’ve seen third parties having an influence in past elections, but not so much this year,” said Clifford Young, senior vice president at Ipsos Reid Public Affairs. “If turnout is radically deviant from historical precedent, I don’t think third parties will be that effective.”

Not so famous candidates on Illinois’ presidential ballot are Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney, Libertarian Party nominee Bob Barr, New Party nominee John Joseph Polacheck, Constitution Party of Illinois nominee Charles Baldwin and Independent Party nominee Ralph Nader.

Only Nader, Baldwin, McKinney and Barr are third party candidates registered in enough states to theoretically receive the minimum 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the election

According to a Gallup Poll conducted from Oct. 3 to Oct. 5, four third-party candidates received little support when listed alongside Obama and McCain. Nader, the most popular third-party candidate, collected two percent of the vote.

“I’m not aware of any polls that show third party candidates making a real difference,” said University political science professor Brian Gaines. “I realize if it’s close enough like in the 2000 election, a small level support can make a difference, but I don’t expect it to be a close enough election.”

As the Green Party candidate in 2000, Nader won less than three percent of the nationwide vote, but his liberal supporters perhaps contributed to the Republican triumph in Florida and New Hampshire.

“The two main parties usually don’t fill the vacuum of the electorate that leans more libertarian,” Young said. “McCain and Obama represent change and are tending to fill that vacuum.”

“We don’t have any money,” Amondson said. “Everybody thinks Prohibition won’t work. We’re up against that thought, but can never really get our ideas out.”

Third party influence can slightly shift Democrat and Republican ideologies in order to keep up with their subordinate adversaries. While there may be a slight movement, political science professor Peter Nardulli notes that the two main parties are careful to stay in the middle of the political spectrum.”

“There are more ducks to hunt in the middle of the road,” Nardulli said. “Sending views to extremists will hurt your chances with the middle of the roaders.”

As the candidates wrap up their final campaign promises and air their last-minute television ads, Americans have four days left to decide the fate of their vote.

“No matter what happens, we’re going to be seeing interesting results,” Young said. “The last-minute voters always prove to make the election entertaining.”