Herb Hoffman, 2008 independent candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, has been trying to persuade the Maine legislature to improve conditions for declared write-in candidates. Earlier this year his bill to help write-in candidates was defeated in Committee. However, that was because the Secretary of State had promised to put the provisions of the bill into his omnibus election law bill, LD 1169. The Secretary of State has kept his word, so the provisions may yet become law. They provide that each polling place should post a list of the declared write-in candidates, and delete the law that says the voter must write-in not only the name of the candidate but the candidate´s town of residence, and also improve procedures for counting write-in votes.

On April 7, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed SB 3, which deletes the requirement that members of major parties need any signatures to get on the primary ballot, if they are running for partisan county office, or for certain state executive positions that are elected by district.

Although the bill does not offer any relief to independent candidates, or to members of qualified minor parties (all of whom need petitions), the policy change made by SB 3 will be useful in litigation and future lobbying on behalf of independent and minor party members.

The Arkansas Green Party is not ballot-qualified for 2010, because it failed to poll 3% for president in 2008 and because its bill to redefine “political party” failed to pass this year. The party is already planning a new petition drive to get back on the ballot, which must be completed in any 90 days of the party’s choosing. The drive will be in 2009.