On August 15, Jill Stein submitted, or is about to submit, petitions to be on the ballot in Montana and Idaho. Both petitions are considered to be independent candidate petitions. In Montana, though, the state will print “Green” next to Stein’s name on the ballot, assuming the petition had enough valid signatures. In Idaho, the label will be “independent” because Idaho doesn’t allow any other label for independent candidates.

Assuming the Idaho petition is valid, this will be the first time the Green Party presidential nominee, or any Green Party nominee for any partisan office, has ever been on the ballot in Idaho. In 2000, Idaho was one of the seven states in which Ralph Nader did not qualify. The Idaho ballot access laws for independent presidential candidates were eased in 2011, as a result of Ralph Nader winning a lawsuit against the old number of signatures. That lawsuit was Daien v Ysursa, won in 2010.

Rocky Anderson, presidential candidate, also expects to qualify as an independent in Idaho. Ballot-qualified parties in Idaho are Democratic, Republican, Constitution, and Libertarian. Ballot-qualified parties in Montana are Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Americans Elect.

Independent Political Report has the details about the Pennsylvania challenge process this year. See here, and also read the first comment which expands the post.

On August 15, a Pennsylvania lower state court refused to enjoin the use of Pennsylvania’s new law that requires voters at the polls to show government photo-ID. Here is commentary about the decision from Rick Hasen, which includes a link to the 70-page decision. That decision is Applewhite v Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 330 MD 2012.