Even though the national convention of the Constitution Party chose Don Blankenship for president at its national convention earlier this month, the New Mexico Constitution Party has nominated Sheila “Samm” Tittle for president. She sought the presidential nomination at the national convention, but was defeated there, placing fourth in the final round.

The New Mexico Constitution Party is ballot-qualified. It will go off the ballot unless it polls at least one-half of 1% for president in November 2020. Tittle is not likely to poll that well. In 2012, when she was an independent presidential candidate, she was on the ballot in two states and polled 2,559 votes in the entire nation.

The Virginia Constitution Party, which is not ballot-qualified, is also considering nominating Tittle, but it has not made a nomination yet. Tittle is listed as a plaintiff in the party’s ballot access lawsuit, but Virginia allows presidential stand-ins, so Tittle is in the case as a stand-in, just as the Green Party also has stand-ins for president and vice-president listed as co-plaintiffs.

This post has been amended since it was first posted, concerning Virginia.

On May 14, the Arizona Supreme Court removed Republican candidate Kim Owens from the August 4 primary ballot, so that the Republicans will only have two nominees for the three seats, unless Owens or some other Republican can obtain at least 6,663 write-ins in the primary. Branch v Owens, cv-20-0134. Thanks to Richard Grayson for this news. Here is the order.

On May 18, the independent candidates who are seeking ballot access relief in Arkansas filed this reply brief. Whitfield v Thurston, e.d., 4:20cv-466. The lead plaintiff, Dan Whitfield, needed 10,000 signatures by May 1. He and the other candidates (the other candidates are running for district office) argue that if it hadn’t been for the health crisis, they would have been able to complete their petition requirements.