Will Georgia Voters Take Advantage Of More Choices?
Political leanings in our country have never been more firmly rooted in as they are in 2021.
The only era in our past when we have been more divided as a country was during the Civil War.
It seems those who lean right have little room for compromise. The same goes for those who lean left. It’s their way or no way.
Yet, there has always been a group that sees things from the middle. That political group has certainly grown smaller of late but they have always existed.
You can call this group Libertarians or independents, but make no mistake, the middle ground has been left out in the cold. For years this group of Americans has often had to select from one side or the other of the two-headed political monster which runs our country.
A recent court ruling in Georgia, however, may open the door for more choices. A U.S. District Court has struck down Georgia’s five percent petition rule for the US House.
The ruling invalidated the petition requirement for independent candidates and nominees of minor parties when it comes to seeking office for the U.S. House. The law had been so tough for independent candidates to conquer that no third party has managed to obtain ballot access in the general election for the U.S. House since the law was created in 1943. No independent candidate has done so since 1964.
Back in the early 60s, the deadline for petition signatures was October, no filing fee was required and boundaries for U.S. House districts followed county lines, which made it easier to obtain signatures for a designated office.
Election law experts said this was actually a tough case to win because in 1971 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law.
The lawsuit was brought by the Georgia Libertarian Party in 2017 and finally made its way before a judge years later.
Ballot access experts have also pointed no other state has such a restrictive law. All other states except Alabama, has had minor party or independent candidates for U.S. House on the ballot in either 2018 or 2016 or both years. Alabama last had one in 2014, a far cry from Georgia.
The suit was brought against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. At the time, the Secretary of State had oversight of Georgia elections. That has changed in recent months since some far-right leaning GOP officials did not like how Raffensperger said there was not wide-spread voter fraud in the state in the 2020 general election.
The state has not decided if it will appeal the decision. The original deadline was April 23 but that date has been extended.
The judge in the case asked both sides to offer a compromise until the appeal was heard. The Georgia Libertarian Party suggested a $6,000 filing fee or 500 signatures. The state did not submit a compromise for those figures.
The state’s argument that citizens are somehow better off without more choices on the ballot has always been laughable at best and outright absurd and Unamerican at the worst. To try and say that more candidates on a general election ballot would be confusing to voters also flies in the face of logic.
In the primary election, there is often a double-digit number of candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. There hasn’t seemed to be much confusion when it comes to several candidates running in these instances.
It seems elected Republicans and Democrats agree on very little these days. One thing they have been in agreement on, however, is denying Georgia voters a third (or fourth) choice.
If this ruling holds up then Georgia voters will likely have additional choices. Whether voters are able to break out of their habit of selecting between only Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb remains to be seen.
The recent court ruling was long overdue and something that ballot access advocates have cheered. More choice is always a good thing. It doesn’t matter if it’s more choices for a home, a car, a job or among those running for elected office.
Monticello native Chris Bridges has contributed to The Monticello News since 1988. You can email comments about this column to [email protected].
The only era in our past when we have been more divided as a country was during the Civil War.
It seems those who lean right have little room for compromise. The same goes for those who lean left. It’s their way or no way.
Yet, there has always been a group that sees things from the middle. That political group has certainly grown smaller of late but they have always existed.
You can call this group Libertarians or independents, but make no mistake, the middle ground has been left out in the cold. For years this group of Americans has often had to select from one side or the other of the two-headed political monster which runs our country.
A recent court ruling in Georgia, however, may open the door for more choices. A U.S. District Court has struck down Georgia’s five percent petition rule for the US House.
The ruling invalidated the petition requirement for independent candidates and nominees of minor parties when it comes to seeking office for the U.S. House. The law had been so tough for independent candidates to conquer that no third party has managed to obtain ballot access in the general election for the U.S. House since the law was created in 1943. No independent candidate has done so since 1964.
Back in the early 60s, the deadline for petition signatures was October, no filing fee was required and boundaries for U.S. House districts followed county lines, which made it easier to obtain signatures for a designated office.
Election law experts said this was actually a tough case to win because in 1971 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law.
The lawsuit was brought by the Georgia Libertarian Party in 2017 and finally made its way before a judge years later.
Ballot access experts have also pointed no other state has such a restrictive law. All other states except Alabama, has had minor party or independent candidates for U.S. House on the ballot in either 2018 or 2016 or both years. Alabama last had one in 2014, a far cry from Georgia.
The suit was brought against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. At the time, the Secretary of State had oversight of Georgia elections. That has changed in recent months since some far-right leaning GOP officials did not like how Raffensperger said there was not wide-spread voter fraud in the state in the 2020 general election.
The state has not decided if it will appeal the decision. The original deadline was April 23 but that date has been extended.
The judge in the case asked both sides to offer a compromise until the appeal was heard. The Georgia Libertarian Party suggested a $6,000 filing fee or 500 signatures. The state did not submit a compromise for those figures.
The state’s argument that citizens are somehow better off without more choices on the ballot has always been laughable at best and outright absurd and Unamerican at the worst. To try and say that more candidates on a general election ballot would be confusing to voters also flies in the face of logic.
In the primary election, there is often a double-digit number of candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. There hasn’t seemed to be much confusion when it comes to several candidates running in these instances.
It seems elected Republicans and Democrats agree on very little these days. One thing they have been in agreement on, however, is denying Georgia voters a third (or fourth) choice.
If this ruling holds up then Georgia voters will likely have additional choices. Whether voters are able to break out of their habit of selecting between only Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb remains to be seen.
The recent court ruling was long overdue and something that ballot access advocates have cheered. More choice is always a good thing. It doesn’t matter if it’s more choices for a home, a car, a job or among those running for elected office.
Monticello native Chris Bridges has contributed to The Monticello News since 1988. You can email comments about this column to [email protected].