Alabama elects its entire legislature this year. All legislators in both houses get four-year terms. Alabama doesn’t have legislative elections in presidential election years.

This year, twelve independent candidates filed for the legislature, including one incumbent, Harri Anne Smith. Also one Constitution Party candidate filed for the legislature.

The only U.S. House petitions this year in Alabama are one from the Constitution Party in the First district, and one independent in the 7th district.

It is likely that this year, there will be a minor party or independent candidate on the November ballot for either House of Congress in all states except New Mexico and Washington state. Whether there is one in South Dakota will depend on a lawsuit that the Constitution Party is about to file. There almost certainly won’t be any candidates in Washington state because of that state’s top-two system. The problem in New Mexico is the state’s requirement of one petition for minor parties and then separate petitions for each of that party’s nominees, which is so burdensome, there are no minor party candidates in New Mexico this year above the state legislative level. However, a pending lawsuit in New Mexico could possibly put a Green Party candidate on the ballot for Congress.

This Washington Post story about the surprising outcome in South Carolina’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on June 8 suggests that the result may have been affected by the order of candidates on the ballot. Apparently in South Carolina primaries, the candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

The story also suggests that Republicans may have raided the Democratic primary and voted for the Democratic candidate who was perceived to be the weaker of the two. That idea will probably be helpful to the new Republican Party lawsuit to obtain a closed primary for itself in South Carolina.

The Alabama Constitution Party submitted approximately 10,000 signatures so that it could be on the ballot in the First District for U.S. House. The petition is very likely to be validated, because the number of signatures submitted is almost twice the requirement. The party will nominate David Walter for Congress in the First District.

This is the first time the Constitution Party has placed any candidates for either house of Congress on the Alabama ballot. Walter will probably be the only minor party candidate for Congress in Alabama this year.