A Georgia state trial court will hear a challenge to the 5% petition requirement, for independent candidates for district and county office, on July 8 at 10 a.m. The case is Garner v Boren, Muscogee County, su 16-cv-1720. The plaintiff is an independent candidate for Muscogee County Court Clerk. The law requires him to submit 5,226 valid signatures by July 12. That number is approximately 45% of all the votes cast in the primary for that office. If he doesn’t win the case, the voters will see only one candidate, the Republican Party nominee, on the November ballot.