On October 17, Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist told the Miami Herald editorial board that he has changed his position on whether ex-felons should be able to register to vote, and he now favors voting rights for ex-felons. 30% of all African-American adult males in Florida are unable to register to vote because of the existing ban. Crist said he had changed his opinion after being repeatedly asked about the issue during the campaign. He is currently Attorney General of Florida.

On October 17, the ACLU Voting Rights Office filed a notice of appeal of the New Mexico Libertarian Party ballot access case, to the 10th circuit. The issue is whether New Mexico can require new parties to submit multiple petitions for itself and each of its nominees. New Mexico requires one petition to qualify the party itself, lets it nominate by convention, but then requires all the nominees chosen by that convention to file still more petitions. The US District Court had upheld the law on September 18.

Oklahoma activists for easier ballot access are working hard to persuade the 2007 session of the legislature to give some relief. Already 30 incumbent Oklahoma legislators who are likely to be in the legislature next year have pledged to support an easing of ballot access requirements for new parties. Sponsors in each house of the legislature have stepped forward.

In November 2004, Oklahoma voters were the only voters in the nation who could not vote for president, unless they voted for George Bush or John Kerry.