The National Convergence Front of Guatemala was formed in 2008. In its first election, in 2011, it did not run a presidential candidate, but it had candidates for the national legislature. However, they only polled one-half of 1%, not enough to win any seats in the proportional representation system.

But in 2013 the party chose popular TV comedian Jimmy Morales as its leader. In the presidential election of September 6, 2015, fourteen parties ran presidential candidates. Morales came in first, with 23.85%. Because no one got as much as 50%, a runoff was held on October 25, and Morales easily won. See this story. His party only won eleven seats in the national legislature. Thanks to Eric Garris for the link.

This Times of Israel article has interesting information about the Canadian election of October 19, and whether Canada will switch to either Proportional Representation or Instant Runoff Voting in the next 18 months. The Canadian governing party, the Liberal Party, promised to study all forms of election reform and enact something within 18 months, or at least put a proposal on the ballot for a referendum.

The article also has interesting data about the recent election, including a map of Canada that shows which party carried each House of Commons district, although of course maps without special features can’t reflect urban areas very well.

On October 24, the Arkansas Libertarian Party, the only ballot-qualified party other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, held a nominating convention in North Little Rock. The party nominated candidates for U.S. Senate, all four U.S. House seats, ten legislative seats, and eight county offices.

A law passed this year says that parties that nominate by convention must choose all their 2016 nominees (except presidential elector, president and vice-president) by November 2, 2015. No state has ever before required any type of political party to choose its nominees for a November even-year election in the odd year before that election. The party filed a lawsuit against the deadline on October 14, 2015. The state hasn’t responded to the lawsuit yet. Arkansas parties that nominate by primary don’t choose their nominees until March 2016.

If the lawsuit wins, the party will hold a second nominating convention and nominate for more offices.