Only two states require independent candidates for statewide office to submit petitions greater than 2% of the last vote cast. They are Alabama and New Mexico, each of which requires statewide independent candidates to submit petitions of 3% of the last gubernatorial vote.

According to this story, former New Mexico legislator Bob Perls, and Paul Gessing of the Rio Grande Foundation, are working to seek support for a bill next year lowering the New Mexico petition requirements. The story suggests that Representative Jim Smith (R-Sandia) will introduce such a bill.

New Mexico is the only state that requires the nominee (i.e., someone who has already been nominated) of a ballot-qualified party to submit a petition to be on the general election ballot. The New Mexico nominee petition does not pertain to presidential candidates, nor to the major party nominees for any partisan office. The requirement only applies to minor party nominees. The injustice of the minor party nominee petition should be apparent to anyone who thinks about it. If a party that has already shown it has a modicum of support nomines someone, then logically that nominee has a modicum of support. Unfortunately, even Perls and Gessing don’t seem to understand that. They talk about reducing such nominee petitions, though, which is helpful.