On November 13, the Prohibition Party nominated its national ticket for 2020, via a telephone conference call. Bill Bayes of Mississippi is the presidential nominee. Connie Gammon of Tennessee is the vice-presidential nominee.

An earlier version of this post said Bayes is the first presidential nominee from Mississippi, but the Constitution Party of Texas in 1960, and the Reform Party in 2008, also had presidential nominees who lived in Mississippi. Thanks to the commenters for pointing this out, especial Rick Knox.

In 2016 and 2018, Texas required 47,086 signatures for a new party, or for a non-presidential statewide independent. But for 2020 and 2022, the requirement will be more than 83,075 signatures. The formula is 1% of the gubernatorial vote, and although the final gubernatorial vote for 2018 is not known, on election night, the number of votes cast would translate into 83,075.

The 2020 independent presidential petition will be 89,693 signatures, 1% of the 2016 presidential vote.

On November 9, Kristin Olsen, a vice-chair of the California Republican Party, and the leader of her party in the Assembly prior to the 2016 election, said in a public forum, “California Republicans aren’t a viable second party.” See this story.

UPDATE: on November 15, she published an article in Cal Matters, which the San Francisco Chronicle also carried. It can be read here, and it says, “It may be time for a third party.”