TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

In New Hampshire, independent voters turn to alternative media: NH-CIV speaks! (Christian Science Monitor) And speaking of alternative media, check out the video at the top of The Hankster to hear New Hampshire Committee for an Independent Voice's Betty Ward talk about what independents can do to build independent politics!

• California commentator Tom Elias reminds the parties: "During the four years since the last presidential primary voting, Democratic voter rolls in California have dropped 124,000, while Republicans lost 224,000. Both parties are down about one percentage point in their portion of the state's voters - roughly 43 percent for Democrats today and about 34 percent for Republicans. But decline-to-state voters are up by 496,000, now amounting to almost 20 percent of all California voters, compared with 16 percent four years ago... (Long Beach Press Telegram)
• Paul B. Hertneky compares the records of Clinton and Obama in "doing for others" (Union Leader)
• Ron Paul says he's not running as an independent but WaPo says he Won't Rule Out Run as Independent (Washington Post The Talk)
• 5th Circuit Expedites Mississippi Democratic Party Open Primary Case (Ballot Access News)
• University of Arkansas Law Review Publishes Election Law Issue (Ballot Access News)

Candidates Set for a Marathon -GOP Primary Is Seen as Lengthening (NY Sun): ...A delayed nomination fight on either side could also complicate the entry of a potential independent candidate like Mayor Bloomberg, who is likely waiting for the two major party choices to be determined before deciding on a White House race. Mr. Bloomberg would face state filing deadlines as early as May and June to qualify for the November ballot, and the still-unlikely possibility of an contested party convention could flummox his plans altogether.

Although fund-raising would not be an issue for the billionaire mayor, more than 100,000 signatures are needed to qualify for the ballot in states like Florida and California that would be key to Mr. Bloomberg's chances. In New York, 15,000 are required. Though petitioning has historically been both time- and ground-intensive, the hurdles are far from insurmountable. "It's not as hard as people think," the editor of the newsletter Ballot Access News, Richard Winger, said.
A candidate must petition for the ballot in Texas by May 8 — the earliest such date in the nation. But the vast majority of state deadlines are not until July, August, and September. And the potential to organize supporters on the Internet may make the process much easier. "The Internet has taken all bets off," the interim dean of Boston University's College of Communication, Tobe Berkovitz, said. 'You can build an almost instant cyber-community."...

• A Date To Watch Out For-March 5 key date for any would-be independent presidential candidate (Daily Politics)