The Cleveland Plain Dealer has this story, on the extent to which the Libertarian Party is growing stronger in Ohio.

On February 7, the New Mexico Senate Rules Committee passed SB 125, with only one “no” vote. It makes several ballot access improvements: (1) moves the petition deadline for a newly-qualifying party from April to late June; (2) lowers the number of signatures in midterm years for a different type of petition, a “nominee” petition; (3) sets up a procedure, a petition of one-half of 1% of the last gubernatorial vote, for an unqualified party to appear on the November ballot for president only.

The petition referred to in (2) above is a unique New Mexico type of petition. After a ballot-qualified minor party nominates candidates, then each nominee (except presidential nominees) must collect the signatures of 1% of the last vote cast. The bill lowers the number in midterm years, by making the number of signatures equal to 1% of the last gubernatorial vote. This change has no effect in presidential years, but would lower the 2014 (and other midterm years) from approximately 8,000 signatures for a statewide office, to approximately 6,000.

Former U.S. Senator Larry Pressler is currently petitioning to get on the South Dakota ballot as an independent for U.S. Senate. Here is an article about his campaign, which has a reference to his petition drive. The deadline is April 29 but the primary (which he is not involved with) is not until June 3. Pressler probably doesn’t need extra time to get his 3,171 valid signatures. But if he did need more time, it is almost certain that he would win a lawsuit against the deadline. There are no legal precedents upholding an independent candidate petition deadline that is earlier than primary day.

The South Dakota non-presidential independent petition deadline had been in June until 2012, when it was moved to April.