Deficiencies of Texan ballot access rules harm independent candidates who seek room to run

From Ballot Access News article, “Texas Tribune Story Describes Texas Ballot Access Laws for Independent Presidential Candidates”:

The Texas Tribune has this story about the Texas procedures for independent presidential candidates. The story would be better if it mentioned that the petition deadline for independents running for office other than President is June 30, whereas the presidential independent deadline is May 9. Anyone who challenges the Texas independent presidential petition deadline is overewhelmingly likely to win in court. There is no state interest in requiring independent presidential candidates to file petitions 52 days earlier before other independent candidates must file. The U.S. Supreme Court said in Anderson v Celebrezze that states must have easier ballot access procedures for independent presidential candidates than for other office.

Another deficiency with the Texas law is that presidential independents need 79,939 signatures, whereas independent candidates for other statewide office need 47,086. The U.S. Supreme Court said in Anderson v Celebrezze, 460 U.S. 780, at page 795, “The state has a less important interest in regulating Presidential elections than statewide or local elections”, and this quote was a key element of the March 17, 2016 U.S. District Court decision that struck down Georgia’s petition requirement of 50,000 signatures for independent and new party presidential ballot access.