On January 22, the New Mexico House Rules Committee ruled that HB 135 cannot be considered in the 2026 session. Bills in even years can’t be considered unless the Rules Committee approves them, or unless they are budget bills, or bills on a subject for which the Governor has approved, or bills that had been vetoed in the preceding odd year. The bill would have cut the number of signatures for non-presidential independent candidates, and the non-presidential nominees of qualified minor parties, from 2% to 1% of the last gubernatorial vote.

On February 18, the Utah Senate passed SB 194. It changes the method for filling legislative vacancies. Current law says if a legislative seat becomes vacant, the party can choose a replacement. Under current law, a State Senator who had been elected as a Republican in 2024, but who had changed its registration to the Forward Party during 2025 and who had then resigned, made it possible for the Forward Party to choose his replacement last year.

The bill says that current political party of the legislator who vacated that seat is not the party that chooses the replacement. Instead, the party that chooses the replacement is whatever party the outgoing member was last elected under. If this bill had been policy last year, the Forward Party would not have a State Senator in Utah.

On February 25, the South Dakota Senate State Affairs Committee passed HB 1095. It moves the petition deadline for non-presidential primary candidates from the last Tuesday in March to the third Tuesday in March.