The Alibi, Albuquerque’s alternative weekly newspaper, has this story about New Mexico ballot access for new and minor parties.  The article points out that in November 2010, New Mexico is the only state with no minor party or independent candidates for any statewide race or for any congressional race.  It also points out that New Mexico is the only state that requires the nominees of a qualified party to each submit a difficult petition.  Note the word “nominee”.  It is true that many states require candidates running in a party primary to submit petitions to get on a primary ballot, but those individuals aren’t yet party nominees; they are seeking a party nomination.

It is fundamentally irrational for New Mexico to require a ballot-qualified party, which has already submitted one petition to show that it has a modicum of voter support, to submit separate petitions for each of the people it has just nominated.  Maryland once had a similar requirement, but the state’s highest state court, the Court of Appeals, invalidated it in 2003.

On October 12, Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, held a Mayoral election.  Green Party nominee Celia Wade Brown was elected, defeating a four-term incumbent.  See this story.  The story says that the incumbent had the most first choice votes.  But Wellington uses Instant Runoff Voting, and that changed the result.  Thanks to Mike Feinstein for the link.

Kentucky has the easiest petition requirement of any state, for candidates running in party primaries.  They only need 2 valid signatures, plus a filing fee.  On October 13, a lower state court declared that the Republican nominee in the 44th state house district, Gail Powers, only submitted one valid signature.  The other signature she submitted is from a registered voter who lives outside the 44th district.  See this story.

The story also says that the Democratic nominee for state house, 37th district, is also being challenged for the same reason.  It is too late for these candidates’ names to be removed from the ballot, but if a candidate is determined to have failed to submit a valid petition, votes for that person will not be counted.  Kentucky permits write-ins in the general election, if the write-in candidate files a declaration of write-in candidacy by October 22.  But it would be difficult for anyone to be a write-in candidate if that person’s name were printed on the ballot.  It would be difficult to explain to voters that they should ignore the name of the candidate that is printed on the ballot, yet that same voter should cast a write-in vote for that candidate.

The filing fee to run for the legislature is $200.