Article snippet: With the addition of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to the 2020 race, there are a total of 24 major candidates (depending on who you count as “major”) in the hunt for the Democratic nomination to face President Trump. Amid such a crowded field, it might seem like anyone can run for the White House. Indeed, according to the Federal Election Commission, hundreds of candidates have filed paperwork to seek the Democratic nomination. Interested in joining the pack? First thing’s first: Are you a natural-born US citizen? It’s a constitutional requirement to run for president, meaning that you must have been born in the United States or born abroad to a US citizen parent. Next: Are you 35? That’s the minimum age set by the Constitution. Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that. Here are the steps to become a candidate for commander in chief: To legally raise and spend money as a presidential candidate, you’ll need to file paperwork with the federal government. You can set up an exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission, allowing you to raise money for the purposes of “testing the waters” for your campaign. Or, you can skip straight ahead to filing a statement of candidacy with the FEC. This designates a campaign committee to raise and spend money on your behalf. Speaking of which . . . A modern presidential campaign costs hundreds of millions of dollars. That’s a lot of cash, and candidates must be mindful of where it comes from. There are res... Link to the full article to read more