Georgia Independent Candidate for Governor Al Bartell is pointing to the difference in Georgia’s laws for candidates running as Independent. Laws vary by state as to what is required of a candidate or what is termed a “third party” (meaning a party other than the Republican Party or the Democratic Party), in being able to have candidates appear before voters on the voting ballot.
Georgia is known to have one of the most difficult, burdensome, and oppressive ballot qualifying processes in the nation. These processes are required by state law for third parties and Independent candidates to have their party/name be approved/placed on the ballot. For an Independent candidate running for Governor in 2022 such as Al Bartell, a little over 64,000 signatures on petitions have to be submitted to the Secretary of State by July 12th. Those signature petitions must then be certified throughout the state’s 159 county boards of election.
The barriers presented by Georgia's ballot qualifying processes are not without reason, Bartell told community leaders on Friday after qualifying week came to an official close.
“Georgia is one of the most difficult states to run in as an Independent candidate,” Bartell shared, “because the Republican and Democratic parties are in collusion – and they want to keep it that way, and keep control.”
One of the community leaders present with Bartell on Friday explained what he saw was a critical benefit in Bartell running for Governor as an Independent, in spite of the extremely high signature requirement for Bartell’s name to be placed on the ballot in November.
“What people fail to understand is that any elected official, whether they’re a Democrat or a Republican, when they go in [to office], they have to follow their party’s agenda,” Stone of StreetGroomers of Georgia informs. “A party is going to hold onto their agenda, no matter what position you hold[ as an elected official].....But here’s an Independent candidate[Bartell] who doesn’t have to deal with a party – all he has to do is deal with the people.”
Stone adds, “That’s what I feel is so important today.”
Original source can be found here.
