Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton. This possible general election matchup has left the main two political parties fractured to the point that many won’t be voting for their respective party, with former Democratic Sen. Jim Webb and about 14 percent of other Democrats saying that they won’t vote for Hillary Clinton, according to Huffington Post, and Republican Sen. Ben Sasse and about 42 percent of non-Trump supporting Republicans saying that they won’t vote for Donald Trump, according to US News. This has led to an opportunity for third party candidates to rise to the occasion, and the Libertarian Party is the one with the most to gain.

Currently, the Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the U.S., yet they only hold 153 elected offices throughout the entire nation. With the current presidential election cycle playing out the way it is, there’s an opportunity for the Libertarians to rise to prominence on the national stage. Given that the candidates of each major party typically take a large amount of support, the lack of support for the probable nominees is not something to be ignored. This is a clear opportunity for the Libertarians to take.

For a candidate to make it onto the national debate stage for the general election, they need at least 15 percent support nationally, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates. With such a large percentage of support up for grabs, the Libertarian candidate, whether it be Gary Johnson, Austin Petersen, John McAfee or a dark horse of the party, could be able to make it onto the national debate stage for the first time. Also, the first ever nationally televised Libertarian Presidential Debate aired on April 1, showing that interest in the Libertarian Party is growing at a rapid pace.

There are also many political figures that will be looking for someone outside of their typical political party to endorse. Most notably, Glenn Beck, a political commentator for the Blaze, has stated that if Ted Cruz isn’t the Republican nominee, he will be looking for someone else to endorse, and has even talked to at least one Libertarian candidate. Beck has a large political following, and if he were to endorse a Libertarian candidate, it’s likely that a large majority of his followers would flock to the candidate that he chooses to support. The Libertarian Party, if they want to grow to prominence, cannot pass on the opportunity that the current election cycle brings, given that people, like Beck, are talking with Libertarian candidates over a possible endorsement.

There’s also something to be seen in the Libertarian Party platform. The Libertarian platform is essentially right down the middle, with the Democrats on the more liberal left side of the spectrum and Republicans on the more conservative right side of the spectrum. With Clinton and Trump being the likely nominees, people will be looking for a candidate that embodies their views, and the Libertarian candidate will be able to attract both Democrats and Republicans. The Libertarian platform is that of a social liberal, a fiscal conservative, a strict constitutionalism and non-interventionism. They are split on the issue of abortion, as some within the party don’t believe that the government should get involved while others are pro-life in every sense of the word.

When looking at the Libertarian candidates, the most likely to achieve the 15 percent support needed to get onto the national debate stage is Austin Petersen, founder of LibertarianRepublic.com, an online magazine. Petersen has been proactive in getting the support of young people that were left without a candidate after Rand Paul dropped out of the Republican race, getting involved with political figures looking for a candidate to endorse like Glenn Beck and Sen. Ben Sasse, and was instrumental in getting the Libertarian Presidential Debate televised on Fox Business Network. The other main candidates, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and McAfee, Inc. founder John McAfee, could also be successful in achieving the crucial 15 percent needed to get on the debate stage.

The Libertarian Party is also looking to take advantage of the currently fracturing Republican Party. If the Republican Party was to fracture and break apart, it’s likely that a large number of Republicans would flow over to the Libertarian Party, such as Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Justin Amash. With figures like these, the Libertarian Party would almost certainly rise to prominence on the national stage.

The current election cycle is the best chance for the Libertarian Party to be able to rise to prominence. If Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the major parties’ nominees for the presidency, then many people will be looking for a different option, and the Libertarian Party is the biggest and best option for those that are looking for a different path. While the chances of a Libertarian candidate winning the presidency are slim-to-none, it’s important for the Libertarian Party to capitalize on the opportunity that has presented itself, as, even though they can’t win now, they may be able to do so in the future, but the only way that they’ll be able to do so is taking advantage of this opportunity.