From Richard Winger at Ballot Access News:
The Green Party and the Constitution Party are preparing for a trial in their Georgia ballot access case, which charges that presidential ballot access is too difficult in Georgia for minor parties and independent candidates. On September 11 evidence was filed showing that there have been 401 instances in U.S. history when a state prepared a government-printed ballot in a presidential election, and required more than 5,000 signatures. The evidence shows that in all 401 instances, that state did not ever have more than six candidates meeting that requirement. Furthermore, in the only four instances when six petitions succeeded, all those instances were in Illinois, a state that assumes any petition is valid (even if it has only one signature on it) unless that petition is challenged. When the Illinois instances are taken out, there is no instance when more than five petitions succeeded.
This shows that states that require more than 5,000 signatures simply don’t need to worry about crowded general election ballots. The evidence also shows that Georgia doesn’t require any petitions at all, nor any fee, for presidential primary candidates, if the party leaders approve of them. The evidence shows that in 2012, nine Republicans were on the presidential primary ballot and a majority of them got less than one-fourth of 1% of the vote, yet there is no evidence that having as many as nine candidates on the Republican primary ballot injured anyone, and instead having nine candidates enhanced the voting freedom of Georgia Republican primary voters.
Georgia requires approximately 50,000 signatures for an independent presidential candidate, or the nominee of an unqualified party, to get on the ballot. Each petition sheet must be notarized. No Georgia presidential petition has succeeded in 15 years.
There are a few states that require Ds and Rs to get significant numbers of signatures, but still not nearly as bad as the worst states for alt parties and independents.
Good for the goose,good for the gander.
If 50,000 signatures required for third parties and independents, than each Democrat and each Republican must also obtain 50,000 signatures to be on printed ballot..
Do that, and see how fast they change it.
Exactly. Already the case in some states, too.
No petitions necessary. Parties should attain ballot access by registering with the Secretary of State, independent candidates need only submit a notarized declaration of candidacy. Each candidate would pay the same flat filing fee to pay election costs.
Paying a fee should also be an option.
You should only need enough petition signatures to show that you have some support. One Hundred signatures for a candidate and one thousand for a party should be enough to show support for any office.