Georgia to appeal presidential ballot ruling for 3rd-party candidates

Georgia for the first time in nearly two decades may field an independent candidate on its presidential ballot this November after a federal judge ruled a portion of the state’s ballot access laws violated the U.S. Constitution.

The state plans to appeal the March 17 ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Story, which significantly lowers the number of signatures required to petition to get on the state’s presidential ballot — from tens of thousands to 7,500.

But, for now, "it's a dramatic 85 percent reduction in the requirement," said Garland Favorito, elections director for the Georgia Constitution Party, which with the Georgia Green Party sued the state over the rules in 2012. "It's one of the few successes we've had."