The New Mexico Secretary of State, Rebecca Vigil-Giron, a Democrat, will ask the legislature to move the minor party nominee petition deadline from mid-July to early June, when the New Mexico legislature convenes on January 17. In 2005, she persuaded the legislature to move independent candidate petition deadlines from September to June. She had meant to move both deadlines, but due to a drafting error, only the independent petition was moved last year.

New Mexico is the only state that even requires a qualified party to submit petitions for each of its nominees. The Libertarian Party is likely to sue to overturn the “double petition” requirement later this year. A similar lawsuit in Maryland won in 2003.

All the briefs have been submitted in Civil Action Party v Gracia Morales, U.S. District Court, Puerto Rico, 05-2064. The case was filed by two unqualified political parties in Puerto Rico who are trying to get on the ballot in future elections. They complain about the fact that petitions for such purposes in Puerto Rico can be rejected by the government, and then the petitioners are not permitted to double-check the government’s work.

On January 3, Maine state representative Barbara Merrill switched her registration from “Democratic” to “independent”. Maine now has 4 independents in the state house, and one Green, for a total of 5 non-major party legislators.