New third party draws buzz in Fort Myers, but can it get on the ballot?

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—John Morgan announced the formation of a third party, giving it a brand, but the next test is organization, registration, and whether candidates eventually run under that name.

For voters, a third party only matters if it changes what they can actually do at the ballot box. WINK News asked people whether they want another option or are already skeptical of politics.

Some voters are tired of only two choices. One person said it's too divisive, and everybody cares who you vote for, but it shouldn't matter.

Morgan is announcing the formation of the Common Ground Party. The idea is to give people who feel left behind by a two-party system a home.

"Represent actual working people who really care about life, families, and so forth... just regular people," one person said.

Third parties can start because voters are frustrated. According to reports, more than 35,000 name submissions came back after Morgan announced the new party, and more than 250 suggested the Common Ground Party.

Jeff Forseberg does not enjoy talking politics, but he told WINK News what he thinks common ground is. "You don't have to agree with everything... finding the common ground with the party you don't agree with," Forseberg said.

The party now has a name. It just needs people.

However, lately, Florida politics doesn't feel like neutral ground. For people like John Basta, who's called Fort Myers home for two years, the Common Ground Party is a great idea because he feels modern politics have pushed him out.

"A third party can be very effective—everyone's got their own agenda, but it's not our agenda," Basta said.

The next thing to watch is whether this movement becomes official enough for voters to register with it and candidates to run with it. Without that, it's a message, but not yet a machine.