Georgia Representative Jon Pezold (R-Columbus) has introduced HB 133, which hugely improves ballot access for U.S. House, legislature, and county partisan office for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties. However, it slightly makes ballot access worse for independent candidates for statewide office, although it has no effect on statewide minor party petition requirements.

He introduced the same bill in 2015, when it was HB 58. The bill changes the petition for district and county office from 5% of the number of registered voters, to 2% of the last vote cast for that particular office. The U.S. House petition requirement now averages 19,643 signatures; if the bill passes, the average would be 4,921 signatures, still difficult but much better.

The bill raises the independent statewide petition from 1% of the number of registered voters to 2% of the last vote cast for that office. That would raise the requirement for president in 2020 from approximately 55,000 signatures, to 82,294. However, a U.S. District Court last year already struck down the number of signatures for the presidential petition. The state is appealing but the state’s appeal is not likely to succeed. Thanks to Amanda Swafford for this news.