On May 7, the New Hampshire Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee passed HB 481. It moves the non-presidential primary from September to June. Because independent candidate petition deadlines and filing deadlines are tied to the date of the primary, the bill automatically moves the petition deadline from August to May. It moves the deadline for independent candidates to file a declaration of candidacy from June to March. The law on declaration of candidacy even applies to independent presidential candidates. Therefore, an independent presidential candidate must file by March.

A similar bill was vetoed by former Governor Chris Sununu in 2021.

Nevada’s bill for the National Popular Vote Plan bill failed to pass this year. It was a constitutional amendment, AJR 6, and it had passed last year. But in Nevada, proposed constitutional amendments must pass two sessions in a row.

On May 9, Florida State Senator Jason Pizzo, who is an independent, said he will run for Governor next year. See this story.

He can get on the November 2026 ballot simply by paying a filing fee. Florida elimated mandatory ballot access petitions (except for independent presidential candidates) in 1998, by a vote of the people. Previously, he would have needed a petition of 3% of the registered voters, which nowadays would be over 400,000 signatures.

Florida puts the nominees of major parties at the top of the ballot, followed by minor party nominees, and independent candidates are listed last. Independent candidates in Florida have the ballot label “NPA”.

The last time Florida elected a Governor who was neither a Democratic nor a Republican nominee was 1916, when the Prohibition Party nominee, Sidney J.. Catts, won. Back then Florida didn’t print party labels on the general election ballot.