New Jersey elects its state legislators in odd years. This year, New Jersey’s active minor parties have more candidates for the Assembly (the lower house) than they did two years ago. Libertarians have candidates in four districts this year, whereas the party only had candidates in a single Assembly district in 2009. The Green Party has candidates is two districts this year, compared to only one in 2009. The Constitution Party has two candidates in one Assembly district this year, compared to no legislative candidates at all in 2009.

There are 9 independent candidates for the Assembly.

The State Senate races weren’t up in 2009. The only minor party running for a State Senate seat this year is the Constitution Party. There are 9 independent candidates for the State Senate this year.

No Socialist Party or Socialist Workers Party candidates are on the ballot in New Jersey legislative races this year, although neither party had any legislative candidates on the ballot in 2009 either. The Conservative Party of New Jersey likewise has no candidates, and appears not to exist any longer.

On June 6, Maine Governor Paul LePage signed LD 142 into law. This is the bill that eases the requirement that qualified parties must hold a town caucus in at least one town, in every county of the state, in the spring of even-numbered years. The law now says such meetings are required in any 14 of the state’s 16 counties. The Green Party had requested this relief.

On June 13, South Dakota Elections Director Aaron Lorenzen confirmed that out-of-state circulators may work in South Dakota, if they are working on the petition to recognize a new, or previously unqualified, party. The previous South Dakota Elections Director had come to the same conclusion.

South Dakota laws forbid out-of-state circulators for initiatives, for independent candidates, and for petitions to place a candidate on the primary ballot of a party. These bans on out-of-state circulators for most kinds of petition were passed in 2007. Probably if the legislature had thought to outlaw out-of-state circulators for petitions to recognize a new party, they would have done that also.

Mr. Lorenzen is to be thanked for making a determination. The Constitution Party asked California’s Secretary of State, Debra Bowen, in April 2011, whether out-of-state circulators are permitted for independent presidential candidate petitions. She still has not responded to the inquiry.