The New Mexico Constitution Party has submitted a petition to regain its party status. It is the only party that submitted such a petition this year, and the deadline has now passed.
Other qualified parties in New Mexico are Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Independent American, and Better for America.
On July 1, Mexico held a presidential and a congressional election. The presidency was won by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. He was the nominee of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), a new party; and also the Labor Party, which has existed since 1990; and the Social Encounter Party, which has existed since 2006. The three parties named their coalition “Together We’ll Make History” (Juntos Haremos Historia).
Mexico election laws are superior to the laws of the United States in several ways: (1) parties are permitted to jointly nominate the same candidate; (2) access to presidential debates is far more inclusive; (3) election administration is carried out by a non-partisan body; (4) for president, whoever wins the most popular votes is elected. Also Mexico uses proportional representation for its congressional elections.
The Delaware legislature went home for the year, in the very early hours of Sunday, July 1. HB 89, the bill to move the primary from September to April, did not pass. If it had passed, it would have created very early deadlines for new parties to get on the ballot.
The North Carolina Green Party has nominated its 2018 candidates, the first Greens in history who will ever have appeared on a North Carolina ballot for partisan office. The names will be released on Monday, July 2. The North Carolina process for newly-qualified parties is to nominate by convention, not primary.
The Pennsylvania legislature has adjourned. See this story. Even though nine Pennsylvania ballot access laws have been declared unconstitutional over the last 34 years, the legislature has never amended any of them, and the 2018 session was no different than past sessions.
Approximately 100 election law bills were introduced during 2017-2018, but the only one that passed was a resolution declaring September 26 to be “Voter Registration Day.”
