A Georgia administrative judge has recommended denying four independent and third-party candidates from appearing on the ballot in November’s election. The recommendations, handed down on Aug. 26 by Judge Michael Malihi, pave the way to disqualify independents Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, as well as the Green Party’s Jill Stein and the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Claudia De la Cruz.
The final decision now rests with Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. He must make the decision before Georgia begins mailing ballots to military and overseas voters on Sept. 17.
If affirmed by Raffensperger, Georgia voters will be choosing from only Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, Republican candidate former President Donald Trump, and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver. The last time there were any candidates aside from a Democrat, Republican and Libertarian was in 2000 when Pat Buchanan qualified.
Georgia is one of the battleground states where Democrats and allied groups filed challenges to independent and third-party candidates. While none of those four candidates are likely to claim Georgia’s 16 electoral votes, they are considered a threat to siphon votes away from Trump or Harris. President Joe Biden won the state with a razor-thin margin of fewer than 12,000 votes.
In their challenge, Georgia Democrats accused De la Cruz, Kennedy Jr., Stein, and West of having not “faithfully observed the state of Georgia’s election laws.”
Specifically, the lawsuit claims that all four improperly submitted candidate names to state elections officials rather than names of the state electors who will formally vote for them. It also said that each campaign failed to pay state qualifying fees.
“None of these candidates are qualified to be on the Georgia ballot,” said Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Until this year in order secure a place on the ballot in Georgia was by collecting signatures from 7,500 registered voters in-state but this year’s Republican-led Legislature passed a law directing secretary Raffensperger’s office add “any political party or political body” that qualifies for at least twenty other states’ ballots.
According to Raffensperger’s office campaigns each submitted more than enough signatures ahead deadline meet registration requirement while Stein relied new law access ticket.
In De la Cruz case Judge Malihi agreed with Democrats’ arguments petitions must be filed name sixteen presidential electors not themselves.
“In GA independent candidates do not themselves qualify office president vice president United States America ballot,” judge wrote citing two thousand seventeen election law “Rather individuals seeking office presidential elector qualify have their candidate placed.”
In Stein case judge noted Green Party has not provided necessary documentation prove it has access twenty states although party attorney said supporters working secure access twenty-four states he only able present court evidence six states.
According attorney testimony Green Party unable provide remainder evidence because many states seeks access would not provide information until after GA deadline.
Recommendations come days after Kennedy announced Aug twenty-third he abandoned his bid White House instead endorsing Trump while announcing suspension his presidential campaign Kennedy said he would stay most remove name closely contested