WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The third party candidates running for US president will not take the stage at the first presidential debate on September 26, the statement reads.
"Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine, and Donald Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, qualify to participate in the September 26 presidential debate and the October 4 vice-presidential debate, respectively," the commission noted. "No other candidates satisfied the criteria for inclusion in the September 26 and October 4 debates."
11 September 2016, 00:12 GMT
Candidates needed to have an average of 15 percent of the vote in five specific national polls in order to participate in the debate. Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson only had 8.4 percent and Green Party nominee Jill Stein had 3.2 percent, the commission added.
Johnson and Stein can still qualify for the two other debates which will take place in October if they improve their standings in the polls.
