On May 7, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed SB 189, an omnibus election law bill that includes a provision easing presidential ballot access for minor parties, but not for independent candidates. The bill says if a minor party is on the ballot in at least 20 other states, it can automatically have its presidential candidate on the ballot in Georgia.
There has been speculation that the Governor would veto the bill, because another part of the bill, involving ballot-counting technology, is opposed by the current Secretary of State. The bill also has controversial provisions that make it easier to challenge voters, and that requires that all official election mail sent to homeless persons must be sent to them care of the county elections office, instead of to a postal address that is more easy for a homeless person to visit.
Oh wow, that means that my friend from Georgia will actually vote for president (Green Party) and that the Green Party would have presidential ballot access in Georgia for the first time ever.
Tres interessant. And, oh, to have a legislature that meets every year, unlike the banana republic called Tex-ass.
Yes, Progressive Leftist, you are right. The Green Party has never had its presidential nominee on the ballot in Indiana, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, along with Georgia. But 2024 will put the nominee on in Georgia for sure, and probably also Oklahoma if the campaign can raise enough money to pay the $35,000 filing fee. As to Indiana, that depends on the ballot access case pending in the 7th circuit.
Whatever Stock.
Great news since the Constitution Party is currently qualified in thirteen states and, with Randall Terry’s resources, expects to have at least twenty. Thirty if all goes well.
Does it count DC as a state? Because if so that means the Green Party is qualified.
20 OTHER STATES STUFF –
SUBVERTS INDEPENDENT STATUS OF EACH STATE.
SUBVERTS 14-1 AMDT EP CL — OUTSIDE STATE LAWS/ACTIONS DETERMINING INSIDE STATE ACTIONS.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/05/07/georgia-governor-signs-election-bill-sb189/73597202007/
UT STORY
MOST EVER MEDIA ATTENTION TO STATE ELECTION LAW MACHINATIONS ???
DC is not a state, so the way the new Georgia law is worded, it doesn’t count.
@RW, The bill says 20 states or territories.
Jim, that’s a good point. Maybe the intent is to include DC, although it is not a “territory”.
Just me: the people are never safe whenever the legislature is in session. I forgot who originally said that, but it certainly rings true.
Jeff Becker: I’ve seen Randall Terry say 35 or more in an interview which was linked in one of the discussions stemming from their recent nominating convention here.
DC: not a state, not a territory, just an abomination. Kick them out of the US and build a wall. Or, at a bare minimum, repeal the abominable 23rd amendment.
Lastly, three cheers for the new law, or at least the provisions about bums and challenging voters.
Anything that is able to ease ballot access laws and make it easier for more parties to register candidates to give the people more options is always a benefit for the country.
Stop trolling, “stop trolling”.
As a GA resident, I applaud the easing of ballot access – for at least the presidential election. With the Green Party now likely on the November ballot, I can vote with a candidate who shares my ethical, academic, and economic views.
Steph Spring is obviously a lazy retard.
Ken, it’s unwise to project yourself onto others.
I’m with Ken on this one.
Three different names in this thread Stock is using. Seriously man, get help.
The new Georgia law now offers automatic ballot access to presidential candidates as follows:
“…any political party or political body which has obtained ballot access in no fewer than 20 states or territories for the office82
of presidential elector shall be allowed to qualify candidates for presidential elector and receive access to the general election ballot for the purpose of election of the office of presidential elector…”
Complete bill text: https://legiscan.com/GA/text/SB189/id/2973006
Based on that law, then only the Libertarians, Green Party, and Kennedy will get on the ballot. If they are lucky, the Alliance Party, Socialism and Liberation Party, and the Constitution party may make it. Alliance and S&L both had 15 in 2020 while Constitution had 18. Alliance is unlikely to make it unless they back Kennedy or something.
Constitution will easily make it.
Maybe. They didn’t make 20 last time. I can get behind the GOP making the election more secure. However, I do have a question. They specifically mentioned that the minor PARTY has to be on the ballot in 20 states? What about a candidate that is backed by 20 different minor parties in 20 different states or something insane like that? Would the candidate still be able to get on the Georgia ballot? That smells like a loophole to screw a candidate off the ballot.
35, minimum.
We shall see. Kennedy just leapfrogged the Constitution party in the number of states he is trying to qualify for.
Kennedy will be on in every state. Terry will qualify in a lot more states than Blankenship, who essentially took their nomination and then did nothing with it.
The party itself doesn’t have very much of a donor base to fund ballot access. That’s primarily the campaign. Terry has a campaign, a donor base outside the party, and ability to get a lot more out of the party’s donors than the party alone could, plus new donors he discovers by campaigning.
That’s the part Blankenship did not do. Their party nominated him because he’s rich and could have just paid for it himself if he wanted to. He didn’t spend money, or raise any, or campaign. He may as well have been a pauper as far as any benefit to the party. But pauper candidates can still be effective if they work hard. So, he may as well have been a lazy pauper as far as benefit to the party from his nomination.
Terry is very different.
So, how they did in ballot access 4 years ago isn’t very relevant.