The New Mexico Secretary of State is interpreting New Mexico law to mean that independent candidates may not begin to petition until March 1, 2016. There is no law setting a start date for independent candidates. However, there is a law saying the Secretary of State must post a sample independent candidate petition form on the Secretary of State’s web page no later than March 1 of the election year. The Secretary of State is interpreting this law to mean that petitions can’t circulate until March 1.

The election code already carries a clear statement of language to put on the independent candidate petition (section 1-8-50), so there doesn’t seem to be any need for a sample petition. Thanks to Rick Lass for this information.

By percentage, New Mexico has the nation’s most severe requirement for independent presidential candidates. New Mexico’s petition is 3% of the last gubernatorial vote. The only state with a higher percentage is Oklahoma, which requires an independent presidential candidate to obtain signatures equal to 3% of the last presidential vote. Oklahoma does not restrict how early an independent presidential candidate may begin to circulate a petition.

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.