On April 3, New Mexico Governor Michelle Grisham signed HB 407, the omnibus election law bill that is approximately 500 pages long. Included in the bill is a provision easing the number of signatures for independent candidates. Under the old law, statewide independent candidates, including independent presidential candidates, needed 20,898 signatures. Under the new law, presidential independents need 3,483 signatures. Independents for other statewide office need 13,932 signatures. The new formula is one-half of 1% of the last gubernatorial vote for presidential independents, and 2% of the last gubernatorial vote for independents for other office.
Alabama and Montana are now the only states in which the statewide independent petition is greater than 2% of the last gubernatorial vote. The Montana requirement for presidential independents is 5,000, but for other statewide office it is 5% of the winner’s vote for that same office, which usually amounts to at least 2.7% of the total vote. Alabama presidential independents need 5,000, but other independent candidates need 3% of the last gubernatorial vote.
Where did *gubernatorial* come from ???
Some barbarian tribe chief ???
How about use *Guv* vote ???
Richard, are there other states that have a higher petition-signature requirement for Statewide office than for President? What is the party-line rationale for the unequal requirement, and what are they REALLY trying to do?
Thanks.
Virginia has a higher requirement for statewide offices other than President. It used to be the same, but in 2008, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry failed to get enough signatures, so they whined, and the legislature lowred it, but they only lowered it for President.
I am glad to see a victory here for our side.