FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2026
Atlanta, GA – The Libertarian Party of Georgia submitted a qualifying petition for statewide ballot access to the Secretary of State’s office earlier today. While the Party is truly grateful to the volunteers who dedicated their time to the effort, the state’s exorbitantly high signature requirement means Georgia voters are going to be denied having choices on the ballot this November.
Despite this setback, the Libertarian Party will continue to move forward by refocusing on local elections while working to reform ballot access laws in Georgia. It calls upon the General Assembly to lower signature requirements and provide alternative methods of ballot access so that the people of Georgia have the option to vote for candidates who better reflect their beliefs and policy preferences instead of being forced to choose between only Democrats or Republicans.
“There is no valid reason why the state should require over 70,000 signatures for a candidate to be on the ballot when research has shown that it only takes a 5,000 signature requirement to prevent ballot crowding,” said Brian Allen, Acting Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Georgia. “It is clear that the current law exists simply to advantage Democrats and Republicans, who have never had to petition to get onto the ballot as they were grandfathered in when the law was first written.”
The last time an independent candidate successfully petitioned to get onto the ballot in a Georgia congressional race was in 1964 and the last time a third party successfully petitioned for statewide ballot access was in 2000. In 2016, a federal district court permanently enjoined the state from enforcing the signature requirement against presidential candidates after finding it unconstitutional. The history makes the reality of Georgia’s ballot access barriers abundantly clear.
About the Libertarian Party of Georgia: The Libertarian Party of Georgia advocates for limited government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility. Our mission is to advance the cause of freedom in Georgia and across the United States through principles that foster voluntary cooperation, economic freedom, and civil liberties.
Media Contact:
Libertarian Party of Georgia
[email protected]
lpgeorgia.com
