Socialism and Liberation Party presidential candidate Claudia De la Cruz speaks during a town hall meeting at the ZAO MKE Church on July 13, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
ATLANTA – The Georgia Democratic Party will appear in court on Monday to decide whether its names will appear on the ballot as third-party presidential candidates in November.
The Office of State Administrative Hearings is expected to review Democrats’ attempt to impeach Claudia De la Cruz of the Socialism and Liberation Party, part of a nationwide effort to block candidates who could steal votes from Vice President Kamala Harris.
Until this year, the only way to get on the ballot in Georgia was to collect signatures from 7,500 registered voters across the state. But Georgia’s Republican-majority legislature passed a law directing the secretary of state to also put candidates of any party who issue ballots in at least 20 other states on the ballot. The move was widely interpreted as an attempt to stir up trouble for Biden, although former President Donald Trump’s Republican campaign also views the Kennedy campaign with suspicion.
Last week, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced that after county election officials reviewed petitions, 11,336 signatures were accepted for Kennedy, while 8,075 were accepted for Cornel West and 7,682 for De la Cruz. Those numbers, if not lowered by legal challenges, would put all three candidates on the November ballot.
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In their lawsuit, Georgia Democratic Party Executive Director Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye argued that Cruz, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein “failed to conscientiously comply with the election laws of the State of Georgia.”
A spokesman for Cruz’s campaign said they would do everything in their power to “defend the validity of our signatures and our right to be on the ballot.”
While some other states regularly put minor party candidates and independents on the ballot, Georgia voters have never had more than four options since 1948. The last time there were candidates other than a Republican, a Democrat and a Libertarian was in 2000, when independent Pat Buchanan qualified for the ballot.
After an administrative law judge makes a recommendation, Raffensperger will make a final decision. A decision must be made in time for Georgia to begin mailing ballots to military and overseas voters on Sept. 17.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
