Issues > Ballot Access

In 1943, the Georgia Legislature passed one of the strictest ballot access laws in the United States. The law requires the submission of a petition containing the signatures of 5% of the registered voters in the district, a percentage that is sometimes larger than the number of voters who pick a major party candidate in the primary.

This law is so strict that during the last 63 years, no third party or independent candidate has appeared on a Georgia general election ballot for the U.S. House of Representatives. Ballot access for House candidates has been effectively limited to only Republicans and Democrats. Because of the limited exposure that comes with being a write-in candidate, third parties in Georgia rarely have candidates in House races at all. Press access that is customary for candidates on the ballot is typically denied to write-ins; the Atlanta Press Club does not allow write-in candidates in its televised debates, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not include write-in candidates in its Voter's Guide. And without even ordinary press exposure, it is impossible for a write-in candidate to gain the name recognition that is essential to winning votes.

Although Georgia's laws are a state-level matter, the issue of ballot access is one with national significance. Whether voters complain that the two major parties are too similar or too extremist, America's political dialogue is stunted when the public forum is largely limited to only two voices. The same problem is found in the policies of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which is chaired exclusively by members of the two major parties, and has thus set debate participation standards that have the effect of limiting debate access to only Republican and Democratic candidates.

This is an issue in great need of a national advocate. The Democratic and Republican parties will never, of their own volition, encourage change in this arena, because opening the door to more voices is to their disadvantage. By speaking up and speaking out, Georgia and other states can find themselves faced with the public pressure necessary to force change, and to open America's political forum to a greater variety of voices.