Third-party challengers wanting to take on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have until noon Tuesday to submit petitions to the Georgia Secretary of State's Office seeking a place on the state's presidential ballot.
It’s also the petition deadline for any independent candidate seeking federal and state office in the November election.
This could be the first time in nearly two decades the state's presidential ballot includes an independent candidate. That's because, in theory, it's easier than ever. Earlier this year, a federal judge significantly lowered the number of signatures required to petition for a place of the presidential ballot, from tens of thousands of required signatures to 7,500.
The ruling, which the state has appealed, only applies to the presidential ballot. For other offices, including congressional and state legislative seats, the state sets a higher signature requirement for independent parties of 5 percent of the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the last election.
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