DEMOCRAT BARACK Obama and Republican John McCain have dominated the presidential election battle, but there are a host of other characters seeking the approval of the American people today.
Serial presidential candidate Ralph Nader (75), who helped to destroy Democrat Al Gore's bid for the White House in 2000 by taking away potential support, is making one final bid.
Former congressman Ron Paul, who came fourth in the race for the Republicans' nomination, raised millions from small donors and then put himself forward as an independent, is no longer contesting the election. However, he remains on the ballot in Louisiana with Barry Goldwater jnr, son of the late presidential candidate of the same name, and in Montana, where he was refused permission to withdraw his name.
Another former congressman, Bob Barr, who was one of the leaders of the impeachment of President Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky affair, is contesting for the Libertarian Party. A former supporter of Ron Paul's, Chuck Baldwin, who was once part of the Republican Party in Florida, is also contesting. He opposes "the new world order", the United Nations, US income taxes and the Patriot Act.
Cynthia McKinney is on the ticket for the Green Party. Besides the usual issues focused on by the Greens, she supports slavery reparations, electoral reforms and the abolition of the death penalty.
There are seven other candidates in the race, though they have not been nominated to run in enough states to give them any mathematical chance of reaching the 270 electoral college votes needed for election.
They include Charles Jay of the Boston Tea Party, who ran alongside porn actor Marilyn Chambers in the 2004 election for the Personal Choice Party, and managed to get on the ballot in Utah - but he got just 946 votes.
A former ambassador appointed by Ronald Reagan to a position in the United Nations, Alan Keyes - who failed to win the Republican Party's nomination - is seeking election in some states.
He ran in 1996, 2000 and 2004. He was appointed by Reagan to the UN's Economic and Social Council and served as assistant secretary of state for international organisation affairs from 1985 to 1987.