The petition deadline has passed in Alaska. The only petitions received involving the presidential race this season are the Green Party and Americans Elect Party petitions. The Americans Elect petition was submitted months ago.

The four ballot-qualified parties on in Alaska are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Alaskan Independence Party. No one knows which presidential candidate the Alaskan Independence Party will nominate. In 2008, that party nominated Chuck Baldwin, who was also the Constitution Party presidential nominee.

North Carolina is one of the thirteen states in which the state income tax form lets taxpayers choose to help any particular ballot-qualified party. This year, the state recently sent these amounts to each of the three ballot-qualified parties: Democratic $1,456,436; Republican $898,532; Libertarian $96,664.

Amounts are larger in presidential election years than in other years, because the state policy is to hold back some of the money in non-presidential years, and release it in presidential election years.

The Libertarian Party will probably spend a major share of its money for its gubernatorial campaign, because the party must poll at least 2% of the vote for either President or Governor in order to remain on the ballot in 2014 and 2016. North Carolina elects its Governors in presidential election years. Parties face no vote test in mid-term years.

Virgil Goode, the Constitution Party presidential candidate, will appear on the Washington state ballot. The Secretary of State’s office had already validated all the other presidential petitions this year, but did not finish validating the Constitution Party petition until August 9. Thanks to Gary Odom for this news.

The petitions that had already been validated in that state are Libertarian, Green, Justice, Socialist Workers, and Party for Socialism and Liberation.