On November 8, Mississippi held elections for all state office. The Reform Party nominee for Auditor, Ashley Norwood, was in a 2-party race against a Republican. Norwood polled 181,425 votes, 24.34% of the total vote cast for that office. This is the highest percentage for a minor party nominee for statewide office in Mississippi since the Peoples (Populist) Party showing in 1895.

Although George Wallace carried Mississippi in the presidential election of 1968, he was an independent candidate in Mississippi. Strom Thurmond carried Mississippi in the presidential election of 1948, but in Mississippi Thurmond was the Democratic Party nominee, and Harry S Truman was an independent candidate in Mississippi.

The Reform Party also got a high percentage in a 2-party statewide race in Mississippi in 2003: it polled 23.69% for Auditor that year. In the November 8, 2011 election, the Reform Party was also in a 2-party race for Lieutenant Governor, but in that race the Reform Party nominee, Tracella Hill, only received 19.65% of the vote. Thanks to Tony Roza for finding these 2011 unofficial Mississippi election returns.

The Country Party, which is organized only inside Wyoming, has 2,000 signatures on its petition to be a qualified party. The party hopes to be finished by December 1, 2011. The Country Party needs 3,740 valid signatures by June 1, 2012.

Wyoming is likely to have six ballot-qualified parties in 2012, the most in its history. The others are expected to be Libertarian (which is already on), Constitution, and Americans Elect.

On November 9, Germany’s highest court, the Federal Constitutional Court, struck down a German election law that requires parties to poll at least 5% of the vote in order to win any seats in European Parliament elections held within Germany. See this story. Germany uses proportional representation for both its own elections, and for European Parliamentary elections. The ruling has no effect on elections for Germany’s own Parliamentary elections. Thanks to Dan Walker for the link.