Third Party Internet Candidate

A third party presidential candidate may emerge from the web for the 2012 Presidential election. For the last year, "Americans Elect", or AE has been laying the foundation for an internet candidate. Their goal is to enable millions of people to plug in and conduct a "virtual primary" and convention.

AE's COO, Elliot Ackerman tells Fox News it's all about having a choice. "We are forced to choose between brand a and brand b," says Ackerman.

"We are sitting here a year out from the election and it shows President Obama, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain or Perry. Not a single vote is past. American's elect.Org. We are giving voters the ability to draft candidates and discuss the issues and participate in a presidential primary."

AE is a not for profit organization. Since the birth of this movement, they have raised more than 20 million dollars. Right now AE is spending most of that money on paid petition gatherers in several states. AE organizers are also building a web strategy and they hope to launch it by mid-2012.

"We will be holding first ever nonpartisan nominating and every American voter can be a delegate in American select.Org."

In theory, Ackerman says any American citizen can sign up via the AE website to become a party delegate.

"We are giving voters the ability to draft candidates and discuss the issues and participate in a presidential primary." However, participants must agree to abide by the group's bylaws. AE will verify the potential delegate by checking the participant's name against the existing voter rolls. Delegates will then have the opportunity to vote online for the party's nominees and to also help shape the issues those nominees have to address. Another wrinkle: if a potential candidate comes from one of the major parties, (democrat or republican), that candidate will be required to pick someone from outside of their party as their running mate.

By the end of the summer, AE plans to have volunteers working in every state senate district in the country (there are more than 2,000) and on 100 college campuses signing up "delegates" to its online convention.