On July 26, a trial state court in New Mexico refused to order Carol Miller onto the November ballot as a candidate for Rio Arriba County Commissioner. She is appealing to the State Supreme Court. Although New Mexico generally requires all candidates to file petitions (except presidential nominees of qualified parties), for some reason New Mexico county candidates running in a primary don’t need any petition. But independents do, so the lawsuit depends on the State Constitutional provision that elections shall be “free and equal” to argue that independent candidates for county office shouldn’t need petitions either.