The Arizona Green Party petition has now been checked by the various county elections officials, and the county totals reveal that the party has more than enough valid signatures. The news won’t be official until the Secretary of State adds up the county totals; the official announcement is likely on Friday. This is the first time a new party petition has succeeded in Arizona since 2000. It is also the third time the Green Party has qualified as a party in that state. The other times were in 1992 and 2000.

If the Green Party can boost its registration up to two-thirds of 1% of the state total (approximately 14,500 members) by November 2009, then it can remain on the ballot. The Arizona Libertarian Party has its registration up that far, and that is why it has been on the ballot continuously since 1992.

On April 8, a potential independent candidate filed a federal lawsuit against the Montana ballot access law for independent candidates (for office other than president). Kelly v Johnson, cv 08-25. Steve Kelly would like to be an independent candidate for U.S. Senate this year. In 2007 the legislature moved the petition deadline from June to March. The same bill provided that independent candidates must also pay a large filing fee. Even under the old law (as well as the new law), a U.S. Senate independent candidate this year needs 9,992 valid signatures. The combination of the large number of signatures, the early filing deadline, and the fee, prompts the lawsuit. Oddly, ever since 1999, presidential independents, and new parties, only need a flat 5,000 signatures.