The Green Party has two state legislators in Maine, Ralph Chapman and Henry John Bear. Bear doesn’t have the same power that most Maine legislators have, because he is a tribal representative, but Chapman is a full-fledged state house member.

The Maine legislature has adjourned but much business was not completed, and many legislators want to reconvene. Whether the legislature reconvenes depends on whether a majority of the three party caucuses wish to reconvene. So if the Democratic and Republican caucuses do not agree, Chapman can break the tie, because the Maine legislature recognizes the Green Party caucus. See this story.

Louisiana easily has the nation’s most severe petition requirement to recall an elected official. On May 9, the Louisiana legislature passed HB 54, which eases the requirement, although even if the Governor signs the bill, Louisiana will still have the most difficult recall petition requirement.

Existing law requires the signatures of 33.3% of the registered voters. The bill lowers it to 20% of the registered voters, if the jurisdiction is 100,000 or more voters. If it is smaller, then the petition would need 25% of the registered voters.

The Libertarian Party of Ohio, and the Constitution Party of North Carolina, are currently working on very difficult petition drives for ballot status in 2018. Both states held primaries on May 8. In both states, volunteers and paid circulators petitioned near polling places. Petitioning at the polls is one of the best methods for getting lots of valid signatures on a single day.

Libertarians in Ohio got at least 1,500 volunteer signatures, and probably between 1,000 and 2,000 paid signatures, on primary day.

Constitution Party workers in North Carolina got 500 signatures on primary day.

The North Carolina Constitution Party needs 11,778 valid signatures. It has been turning in signatures and election officials are validating them. The party has 10,500 valid signatures already and there are 2,500 waiting to be checked. The deadline is May 16. Assuming the drive succeeds, this will be the largest requirement that the Constitution Party has met in any state since 2012, when it overcame the New York requirement of 15,000.

The Ohio Libertarian Party needs 54,965 valid signatures. Ohio won’t let parties turn in any signatures until the drive is finished. Assuming the drive succeeds, this will be the biggest job the Libertarian Party has done in any state since 2008, when it overcame the North Carolina requirement of 69,734.