Georgia Ballot Access Suit Makes Atlanta Journal Constitution Front Page

This is an e-mail from Garland Favorito. Again, I hesitate to post blatant fund raising appeals, but a ballot access challenge making the front page of a major newspaper is worth passing on:

VoterGA Supporters,

The recent ballot access law suit filed by the Green Party of Georgia and the Constitution Party of Georgia made the front page of the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday June 2. A caption about it appeared in the top left corner and a full story by Aaron Gould Sheinin appeared on the front page of the metro section. The story, which is complimentary of the fair ballot access efforts is here:

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/suit-challenges-georgias-ballot-1449302.html

The Presidential candidates for these FEC recognized political parties have appeared on the ballot in more than 40 states several times but have always been denied access to the ballot in Georgia. They have collected as many as 65,000 petition signatures for an election but have still beendenied a candidate listing on the to the ballot. When forced into write-in status the state has failed to count the votes correctly on several occasions. In the 2008 election, the state lost 75 votes from Cherokee county alone and corrected the error after we reported it.

The Georgia House leadership, under the direction of speaker David Ralston, has made it clear in the last session that they will not allow fair and equal access to the ballot. This is in spite of recommendations from the Secretary of State’s Election Advisory Council (EAC) to reduce the petitioning requirements in Georgia. House Government Affairs Committee Chairman, Mark Hamilton, blocked a hearing for Rusty Kidd’s H.B. 494, which would have removed the petitioning requirements in Georgia altogether just like Florida did successfully in 1999. Mr. Hamilton also acknowledged that he removed bill language to implement the petitioning reduction recommendations from the EAC even though nearly all of their other recommendations were passed. These blatant efforts strip election ballots from the people of Georgia and make them the property of the Republican and Democrat parties.

If you believe that this is unfair and want to do something about it your help is needed and will be greatly appreciated.  Recent court cases in Tennessee and Ohio have opened the ballot in those states. Georgia restrictions are much worse than those states so there is a significant chance that this suit will succeed. But the plaintiffs must raise several thousand dollars each to cover attorney fees and court costs. VoterGa is accepting donations on behalf of this effort to achieve fair and equal ballot access. As always with any VoterGA contribution, 100% is routed directly to the attorney for legal fees and 100% is tax deductible. If you can afford to contribute to this effortm please note the word “Green” or “Constitution” on the memo line of your check or Pay Pal payment. The note will enable contributions for verifiable voting and ballot access fairness to be distinguished from each other. Please click here to make a donation via Pay Pal or mail your contribution to:

Voter GA P.O. Box 808 Decatur, Ga. 30031

Thank you in advance for your support. I also want to thank the many Democrats and Republicans who are working actively within their parties to instill fairness on this and other issues as well. More details about the lawsuit are available on the VoterGA.org web site.

Garland

www.voterga.org

404 664-4044 CLK