Attorney Craig Webster, representing the Georgia Green Party, pushed back, urging Malihi to postpone a decision until Stein’s ballot access filings are submitted by the Friday deadline established by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Before this year, Georgia law required independent and third-party candidates to collect a minimum of 7,500 petition signatures from registered voters to land ballot access, which three of the four challenged candidates cleared.
The legal challenges filed last month by the Democratic National Committee and the state Democratic Party are part of a national push to keep Stein and three other independent and third-party candidates from sapping votes in battleground states.
“His own Justice For All party has a nationwide reach, and I’m sure there are other states on which he’s seeking access as we speak here,” Sparks told Malihi.
The secretary of state may receive that affidavit tomorrow and say, ‘I think it’s fine, we’re going to put you on the ballot,’ ” Webster said at the hearing.
Sparks also said West should be blocked from the state ballot for his illegitimate status as an independent candidate, considering his effort to affiliate with various parties to secure access across the country.
The judge is also set to decide two challenges over whether independent candidate Cornel West collected enough valid signatures to qualify for the state ballot.
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