New Mexico State Senator Howie Morales (D-Silver City) has introduced SB 218. It provides that candidates for federal and state office may pay a filing fee instead of filing a petition. The bill applies equally to candidates seeking the nomination of a party that nominates by primary, and also to candidates who have been nominated by a minor party convention, and also to independent candidates. The bill is fairly short but says it applies to all nominating petitions dealt with in Chapter 1-8 of the election code.
The fee for statewide office and Congress would be 1% of the annual salary of that office. For state legislature, the fee would be $500. Thanks to Jon Barrie for this news.