Prince Edward Island's ballot will be a little more crowded in the next election, with the Island Party joining the province's four other official parties.

The Island Party had to sign up 250 members and pay a one-time fee of $1,000 before Elections P.E.I. could register it.

Jay Gallant, the interim leader, said the party will hold a leadership convention in the fall and he hopes to field a full slate of 27 candidates in the next campaign.

"We will work to give the Island back to Islanders by decentralizing the power and influence of government, putting public policy ahead of special interest groups and encouraging citizen education and civic involvement throughout the Island community," Gallant said.

The Island Party joins the Liberals, Progressive Conservative, New Democrats and the Greens on the list of registered parties.

According to Elections P.E.I., there have been eight registered parties since 1900. Along with the current roster, the parties include the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, Conservatives, the Draft Beer Party, Garden Party and Progressives.

P.E.I. voters have not traditionally been welcoming to parties outside the established political organizations. In recent history only the NDP has beaten the Progressives Conservatives and Liberals for a seat. And that only happened once, in 1996.