New Mexico Representative Moe Maestas (D-Albuquerque) has introduced HJM 19. It calls on the state legislature to study ballot access. New Mexico has some of the worst ballot access laws in the nation. It is the only state that requires the nominees of qualified political parties to submit a petition in order to be on the November ballot. This law only affects qualified minor parties (which nominate by convention), not qualified major parties. After a candidate receives a minor party nomination, he or she is then required to submit a petition of 1% of the last gubernatorial vote. This is not logical, because if a party has shown that it has a modicum of voter support, and the party supports the nominee, then the nominee has already shown that he or she has support.

New Mexico also has the most stringent independent presidential petition in the nation, 3% of the last gubernatorial vote. No other state requires an independent presidential candidate to submit a petition greater than 2% of the last vote. Thanks to Bob Perls for the news about HJM 19.

On January 29, the Republican members from Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let them file an amicus curiae brief in the partisan gerrymandering case. The members want the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a stay of the State Supreme Court’s order that requires a quick redrawing of the U.S. House district boundaries. The amicus will be paid for by the National Republican Congressional Committee. The other side in this case has not consented to the filing of this amicus brief, so it is up to the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether to allow the filing.

The Pennsylvania Republican Party also is filing this amicus brief.

The Secretaries of State of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and South Carolina have filed this amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in the Pennsylvania U.S. House lawsuit over partisan gerrymandering. This is the case in which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court invalidated the U.S. House district boundaries based on the Pennsylvania constitution. The Secretaries of State of these other six states want the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The Secretary of State of South Carolina, Mark Hammond, who signed this brief, is not even responsible for election administration in his state. In South Carolina the State Election Commission handles elections.

U.S. Supreme Court rules require that amicus briefs disclose who paid for the filing. This brief reveals that units of the Republican Party paid for it.