The Nevada Green Party has nominated David Gibson for Governor, and Tim Reinhardt for Secretary of State. They are the first Green Party nominees in Nevada since 2010. The party did not appear on the 2012 ballot. In order to get back on the ballot, the party will need 9,738 valid signatures by April 11.

In 1986, the Libertarian Party defeated Nevada’s April petition deadline in U.S. District Court, and the state did not appeal, and moved the deadline for newly-qualifying parties to June. In 1992, a U.S. District Court enjoined that June petition deadline, in a case filed by the New Alliance, Natural Law, and Populist Parties. The legislature then moved the deadline to July. However, in recent years, the legislature has moved the deadline back to April.

Nevada currently has four ballot-qualified parties: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Independent American (which is affiliated with the national Constitution Party). UPDATE: here is a newspaper story that summarizes candidate filings for the statewide offices.

As of March 10, 2014, here are the percentages of Pennsylvania voters registered in each party: Democratic 49.72%, Republican 36.85%, Libertarian .55%, others and independent 12.87%. Efforts are underway to learn how many voters are registered in the Green and Constitution Parties.

In November 2012, the percentages were: Democratic 49.78%, Republican 37.11%, Libertarian .47%, Green .16%, Constitution .05%, other and independent 12.43%.

The March 10, 2014 totals are: Democratic 4,089,866; Republican 3,030,658; Libertarian 45,340; other and independent 1,059,378.

The Libertarian Party now exceeds one-half of 1% of the state total. It is the first Pennsylvania party, other than the two major parties, to have registration above one-half of 1% since 1934, when the Socialist Party last had registration that high. Past issues of the Pennsylvania Manual contain voter registration data. Back in 1934, the Socialist Party was electing a few state legislators in Pennsylvania, from Berks County.

As previously noted, on February 27, the Fourth Circuit upheld North Carolina’s May petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties. On March 13, the plaintiff Constitution Party and Green Party asked for a rehearing en banc (“en banc” means that all the full-time judges of the Fourth Circuit are being asked to re-examine the earlier decision).

The parties’ request for reconsideration argues that the earlier decision is erroneous because it upheld the failure of the U.S. District Court to allow the parties to engage in discovery. In the U.S. District Court, the parties wanted to question state election officials about the state’s claim that the state needs a deadline as early as May, in order to have time to check the signatures. But the U.S. District Court refused to allow discovery.

It seems obvious that North Carolina does not need a May deadline to check signatures, because the state allows a June deadline for independent candidates, and statewide independent candidates need just as many signatures as minor parties. Furthermore, in 1988, the state waived the minor party petition deadline and was still able to check the New Alliance Party petition, even though those signatures were not submitted until July. And in 2004 the state also permitted independent candidates to file their signatures in July, due to late redistricting.