On April 11, Idaho Governor Butch Otter signed HB 275, the Secretary of State’s omnibus election law bill. Among other changes, it makes two ballot access improvements. It lowers the number of signatures for an independent presidential candidate from 1% of the last vote cast (6,552 signatures) to exactly 1,000 signatures. Also, it says out-of-state residents may work on an independent presidential candidate petition.

Idaho is the third state that has improved its ballot access laws for independent candidates or minor parties so far this year; the others are New Mexico and Nebraska.

The Idaho change will probably help the Green Party, which has never before placed its presidential nominee on the Idaho ballot. It seems extremely likely that the Green Party will be able to handle the new, easier independent procedure for whomever it nominates for President in 2012. The change will have no direct impact on the Libertarian or Constitution Parties, because they are already ballot-qualified parties in Idaho.