Candidate standing is a specialized application of Article III standing. To sue in federal court, a plaintiff must show a concrete and particularized injury. For political candidates, courts have increasingly recognized that they have a unique, personal interest in the rules governing their own elections. If a state implements a ballot-counting procedure that a candidate argues is illegal and harms their competitive position, the candidate may have standing to challenge that rule, even if ordinary voters would not.
Without candidate standing, it would be incredibly difficult to challenge illegal or unfair election procedures in court, as courts often dismiss lawsuits from average voters by claiming their injury is too "generalized."
Without candidate standing, it would be incredibly difficult to challenge illegal or unfair election procedures in court, as courts often dismiss lawsuits from average voters by claiming their injury is too "generalized."