North Carolina released new registration totals on October 10. For the first time, North Carolina Libertarian registration is above 50,000. The only other state in which the Libertarian Party ever exceeded 50,000 registered voters has been California.

Here are the new totals. The Green Party only has 128 registrants, but that is because when it went off the ballot in November 2020, the state converted all its registrations to independents. When the Green Party got back on the ballot a few months ago, it had to start from zero.

The only other state in which Libertarian registration ever approached 50,000 was Pennsylvania, which had 48,966 at its peak in October 2016. The Pennsylvania voter registration form stopped showing the Libertarian choice after the November 2018 election. Although the state did not disturb the registration status of the Libertarians at that time, the absence from the party as a choice on the form diminished its registration somewhat, and it has about 45,000 currently.

The October 7 print edition of the New York Times has an op-ed by Sarah Vowell, advocating that voters in Montana’s U.S. House, second district, elect an independent candidate, Gary Buchanan. See it here. Buchanan has been endorsed by former Republican Governor Marc Racicot, who is also a former chair of the Republican National Committee.

On October 6, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Cohen, an Obama appointee, refused to enjoin the Georgia law that lets individuals contribute as much as they want to the campaign of a Republican or Democrat for Governor or Lieutenant Governor, but which caps the contribution limit for other gubernatorial candidates at $7,600. The reason has to do with standing. The Libertarian Party and its nominee for Lieutenant Governor have appealed. Graham v Carr, n.d., 1:22cv-3613. Here is the order denying relief.