On March 5, the Texas Secretary of State’s web page posted this updated information for presidential candidate ballot access. Independent presidential petitions can be circulating now. The petition deadline is June 29, which is the latest Texas petition deadline for independent presidential candidates since 1984. The 2012 presidential election is the first presidential election since 1984 in which every state has some means to get a presidential candidate directly onto the November ballot with a deadline that is later than June 3.
Independent presidential petitions can be signed by any voter who had not already voted in the presidential primary. Petitions circulated now can be signed by any registered voter. But after early voting starts, voters who voted in the May 29 presidential primary cannot sign the independent presidential petition. Obviously, an independent presidential candidate has an easier job if his or her petition is circulated before voters start voting in the presidential primary.
Here are the Secretary of State’s instructions for newly-qualifying parties. Like the independent petition deadline, the minor party petition deadline is June 29. The petition can be signed by any registered voter who has not voted in the May 29 primary, so, as is the case for independent candidates, it is easier to get valid signatures if the petition is circulated before people start voting in the May 29 primary.
