On June 13, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, filed a petition to to run for re-election as an independent candidate. He also filed a petition to be in the Democratic primary for the same office. However, in the past, he has filed to run as a Democrat, and then he always wins the Democratic primary, and then withdraws his Democratic Party nomination. It is expected he will do the same thing this year.

Assuming Sanders is re-elected as an independent, it is somewhat likely two independent candidates will win U.S. Senate seats this year. The other likely independent winner is Angus King, running in Maine.

The Phoenix city council has voted to sue the state of Arizona, to overturn the new law that tells all cities (even charter cities) that they must hold their city elections in even years. Phoenix has long held city elections in odd years. If the new law is not overturned, the normal terms of office for city council members will need to be either shortened, or lengthened. See this story.

On May 31, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed SB 236 into law. It says that newly-qualifying parties must identify their nominees in June, even though the petition to qualify that party is not due until August. The bill takes effect immediately. The only party that is adversely affected this year is the Libertarian Party, which is the only newly-qualifying party expected to successfully petition in New Hampshire this year. If the bill had not passed, the Libertarians would have more time to recruit more candidates. See this story. In New Hampshire, newly-qualifying parties nominate by convention.

The bill does not affect independent candidates. The bill is probably unconstitutional, at least as applied to a newly-qualifying party that has not yet chosen its presidential nominee by June. However, the Libertarians already chose their national ticket in May. If Americans Elect had not dropped out of the 2012 presidential race, and if it hadn’t chosen its national ticket by mid-June, then Americans Elect would have been in a good position to sue New Hampshire. New Hampshire is the only state in the nation in which no minor party or independent candidate has ever won a constitutional ballot access case.

The New Hampshire primary (for office other than President) is on September 11. The bill is discriminatory, because it forces newly-qualifying parties to nominate their candidates three months before the major parties must nominate.