July 13 is the deadline for independent candidate petitions in Georgia. Brad Bryant, the state’s Schools Superintendent, tried and failed to collect the needed 44,089 valid signatures. His campaign only collected 36,000. He is a Republican, but he was forced to try to qualify as an independent, because he declared his candidacy after it was too late for him to run in the Republican primary.
No candidate has ever got on the Georgia ballot by petition for statewide office, other than presidential candidates, except for Republican Bo Calloway in 1966, for Governor. Georgia has been requiring independent candidates to submit petitions ever since 1943.
Well, this is what happens when you try to execute a petition drive of this magnatude at the last minute. Unless you’ve got a hell of a lot of money to spend you’ve pretty much got no chance of making it under those circumstances. When I heard the amount of money that was being talked about in connection with this Brad Bryant petition drive I figured that it would fail. It would have been disingenuous to tell Brad Bryant otherwise.
I’m dissappointed Bryant’s petition drive failed, as I felt he was one Independent who had a chance to win – and his victory would have encouraged future Independent candidates as well as erode away the natural resistance of some voters to vote for anyone other than a Democrat or Republican.
But Andy mentioned about an apparently “low” amount of funds specified to finance the petition drive. This is the problem with the so-called “professional” politicians – just like the other Independent – Ray Boyd – running for Governor of Georgia. Most of them haven’t the slightest idea of all the work involved in securing signatures. And often, some of them are so sold on themselve, i.e., their egos, they are convinced voters will quickly sign a petition just by sticking it under their nose.
Many voters today are afraid for a variety of reasons to sign petitions – even when they support the candidate or support the party. If the wrong person or groups finds their name on a petition for a candidate or a party, they can often suffer consequences. I understand why many voters are reluctant to sign.
This is another reason why ballot access reformers need to get this “outdated” concept of “lower petition signatures” out of their thinking,and instead work for allowing filing fees in lieu of petition signatures for Independent and 3rd party candidates. When are we going to get our head out of the 18th century and start thinking like 21 century voters?