The Missouri deadline for independent candidate petitions, and petitions to qualify a new party, was July 29.  This year, only three statewide petitions were submitted:  (1) the Better Party, which has no interest in the presidential race; (2) the Green Party; the independent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. petition.

The first petition has already been found valid.  The Secretary of State will soon check the validity of the other two.  The Libertarian Party is already on the ballot because of its vote totals in 2022.

This will be the first year since 1994 that the Constitution Party is not on the ballot.  It didn’t poll enough votes in either 2020 or 2022 to remain ballot-qualified, and it did not complete a petition this year.

On July 30, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle heard the Cornel West ballot access case in North Carolina.  Ortiz v North Carolina State Board of Elections, e.d., 5:24cv-420.  The West petition for the Justice for All Party has enough valid signatures, according to the county boards.  But the State Board still wouldn’t put his party on the ballot, because they said they believed some petitioners misrepresented the contents of the petition.

The judge said he would rule quickly.  He allowed Cornel West to intervene in the case.  The case had been filed by some voters who want to vote for West.

On July 30, Kerry Eddy, the Legal Marijuana Now party nominee for U.S. Senate in Nebraska, withdrew from the race.  See this story.  The law permits the party to substitute a new nominee, and party leaders expect to nominate someone else.