On June 26, the deadline, the New Mexico Green Party submitted a petition to restore its party status. New Mexico now has six ballot-qualified parties: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Constitution, Green, and Independent American.

However, there are only a handful of minor party nominees for any office in New Mexico this year, because of the law that says even a qualified party must submit a petition signed by 1% of the last gubernatorial vote for each of its nominees, unless it is entitled to nominate by primary.

New Mexico is one of only three states that will definitely have no statewide minor party or independent candidates on the November 2014 ballot. The others are California and Alabama, and possibly Kentucky and New Hampshire (depending on whether Libertarian petitions for U.S. Senate in those two states succeed). The only state that has no statewide office elections this year is Washington. Thanks to Rick Lass for the information about the Green Party petition.

On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously struck down a Massachusetts law that restricts First Amendment activity on public sidewalks. Here is the decision in McCullen v Coakley, 12-1168. The First Circuit had upheld the law.

The decision says, “Public sidewalks occupy a special position in terms of First Amendment protection. It is no accident that public streets and sidewalks have developed as venues for the exchange of ideas.”

Rob Sarvis, the Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate from Virginia, has been informed that his petition is valid. Thanks to Bob Johnston for this news. He is the only candidate on the ballot, other than the two major party nominees.