FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2003

For further information, contact:
   Representative Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield, 404-656-6372
   Hugh Esco, hesco@greens.org / 706-896-6941
      Chair, Voter Choice Coalition
   Ricardo Davis, ricardodavis@constitutionparty.org / 770-924-8546
   Board Member, Voter Choice Coalition
   State Chairman, Constitution Party of Georgia

Georgia Voter Choice Act Reintroduced -- House Bill 355 would ease restrictions for emerging party candidates and independents


Atlanta, GA -- This morning, Representative Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield of Dekalb County (D, 56th District, Post 1), introduced HB 355, the Voter Choice Act of 2003 "to increase voter participation and political debate by making the ballot more accessible for political organizations which register as a political body under state law and for independent candidates."

She was joined by co-sponsors: Representatives Brian Joyce (R, 2nd District), Buddy DeLoach (Ind.,127th District), Tyrone Brooks (D, 47th District) and Doug Stoner (D, 34th District, Post 1). Representatives DeLoach and Stoner are members of the House Governmental Affairs Committee. Mr. DeLoach chairs the Elections Sub-Committee. Representatives Joyce and Brooks were the original co-sponsors of an early incarnation of this bill known as HB 672 which was first introduced in 1999 with the backing of the Voter Choice Coalition (VCC) including the Georgia Constitution, Green, Labor, Libertarian, Natural Law, and Reform Parties.

Both Mr. DeLoach and Mr. Stoner have successfully complied with the 5% petitioning rule in their bids for ballot access as independents in 1998 and in 2000. Mr. DeLoach was first elected as a Democrat in the mid 90's, switched to the Republican Party in 1998, then ran as an independent in 2000. Following the 11th hour party switch of former Republican Randy Sauder in the 2000 primary, Mr. Stoner ran as an independent backed by the Democrats against Ginger Collins who was elected in 2000 as an independent backed by Republicans. Ms. Collins joined the Republican caucus once elected.

If passed, this bill would change the formulas for computing the number of signatures required for a "pre-party" political body to obtain a place on the ballot for their candidates. The bill, as introduced, mirrors HB 814 passed by Substitute by the House Governmental Affairs Committee last legislative term.

Current law requires 1% of registered voters -- about 40,000 -- to sign a petition for state-wide candidates to obtain ballot access, or 5% of registered voters in other races, with access for Congressional races and for county-wide office in the largest counties requiring almost 20,000 valid signatures. State Senate races require about 3,500. State House seats require an average of 1,400 validated signatures multiplied by the number of posts in the new multi-member districts.

Under the terms of HB 355, access for Congressional and/or state-wide candidates would need the lesser of 2% or 15,000 signatures. The rule for state legislative races would change to the greater of 3% or 3,000 in Senate races or 1,000 (per post in the district) for House seats.

Constitution Party of Georgia State Chairman Ricardo Davis commented, "Voting rights and ballot access are both necessary to ensure freedom. It may be easy for a citizen to exercise the right to vote, but as a partisan legislator I can nullify that right by controlling who gets on the ballot! It is interesting to note that our current ballot access laws in Georgia started as a tool to keep a growing opposing political party from putting their candidates on the ballot. In the early days of our nation there was no such thing as ballot access laws; if the candidate fulfilled the requirements for office, such as a minimum age, you could vote for the candidate. H