Georgia has the nation’s most restrictive ballot access law for independent and minor party candidates for the U.S. House. No independent for that office has qualified under that law since 1964. It requires a petition of 5% of the number of registered voters in the district.

Faye Coffield is trying to qualify as an independent, in the 4th district. The incumbant, Hank Johnson, will be unopposed in November unless Coffield is able to get on the ballot. Coffield, 58, is a private investigator. Both Johnson and Coffield are African-American. The 4th district is centered on DeKalb County, Georgia. Anyone in the Atlanta metro area who would like to help circulate the Coffield petition, should consider doing so. Her webpage is www.electfaye.com. Her postal address is PO Box 360453, Decatur Ga 30036. Her e-mail is comment@electfaye.com, and her phone is 770-657-3104. She needs 14,887 valid signatures by July 8. If she collects a substantial number of signatures, but falls short, she would be an excellent plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the requirement. The U.S. Supreme Court said in 1974 that a ballot access requirement that is seldom used is probably unconstitutional. Earlier this year, 3 justices of that Court reiterated that test, in a concurrence.