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ATLANTA, Ga. (Heartland Newsfeed) — Georgia has long had insurmountable ballot access laws, but the Libertarian Party of Georgia and two potential LP congressional candidates have brought suit to challenge them in the U.S. Federal District Court in Atlanta. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, challenges a state requirement that any political party receiving less than 5 percent of the votes in the previous general election must obtain notarized signatures from 5 percent of eligible voters in the district in order to place a congressional candidate on the ballot. This requirement has never been met, by any party.
The lawsuit against Georgia’s secretary of state asks for a declaratory judgement enjoining the secretary from enforcing Georgia ballot law, and including LP congressional nominees on the general election ballot. The case argues that the state’s current law violates both the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Equal Protection Clause.
The suit points out:
“The lack of a Libertarian Party option on the ballot is especially troublesome when one of the dinosaur parties fails to field a candidate or when neither the nominees of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party are particularly popular,” said Libertarian National Committee Executive Director Wes Benedict. “The 2016 presidential election comes to mind. A current example is the special election for senator in Alabama. Conservative voters in Alabama are faced with voting for a liberal Democrat they cannot support on policy and a Republican nominee tainted by allegations of sexual misconduct in his past. They can write in Libertarian Party candidate Ron Bishop, but a write-in campaign poses one more huge obstacle for voters who wish to vote for the candidate they really support. It’s time for Republicans and Democrats to let go of their political duopoly and let voters have a third choice.”
Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
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Written by: Jake Leonard
Atlanta ballot access Equal Protection Clause First Amendment Fourteenth Amendment Georgia libertarian georgia Libertarian Party Libertarian Party of Georgia U.S. Congress U.S. Constitution U.S. Federal District Court Wes Benedict
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