The Georgia Secretary of State has posted some instructions on how minor parties can comply with SB 189, the new law that says if a minor party is on the ballot for president in at least 20 states and territories, it can notify the Georgia Secretary of State and the presidential nominee of that party will automatically be on in Georgia.
Here is the one-page set of rules, which says the documentation from other states and territories is due August 23. This is only a regulation, not a law, and the Secretary of State is free to revise it. In practice, the deadline is too early. Petitions for presidential candidates in five states are not due until early September. Therefore, the Georgia rules ought to have a deadline in early September as well.
UOCAVA, the federal law that tells states to mail postal ballots to overseas voters, does not require the ballots to be sent until 45 days before the general election. That means the ballots need not be sent out until late September.
SEND CORRECT INFO TO GA SOS — EMAIL / SNAIL MAIL / RABBITS / TURTLES/ ETC
Richard, here’s the real kicker:
“This method of ballot access under O.C.G.A. § 21-2-172(g) does not apply to independent candidates. As drafted, the provision only applies to “political party” or “political body” candidates.”
So, this really only helps Stein and Oliver this year, unless Brainworm Bobby is on the ballot in 20-plus states as a political party candidate, not an indy.
And, there’s no indication whether or not that has to be the SAME party in all 20 of those states.
The bill has no impact on Chase Oliver. The Libertarian Party is ballot-qualified for all statewide office in Georgia (but not district or county office).
The Clerk of the US House of Representatives publishes general election returns every two years, and the Clerk’s booklet has the vote by party for each house of congress, and president also. The Clerk does include Green Party candidates in the Green Party column, even when the name of the Green Party in states in which the party has a different name. In DC, Statehood Green Party. In West Virginia, Mountain Party. In Maine, Green Independent Party. In Massachusetts, Rainbow-Green. So although the Georgia regulations don’t discuss the matter of whether the party has to have the same name in every one of the 20 states, the Clerk’s booklet is probably persuasive that the Georgia Secretary of State should have the same policy.