Georgia lawmakers on Thursday approved new rules for challenging voters and qualifying for the state’s presidential ballot that could impact the 2024 presidential race in the battleground state.
Senate Bill 189 passed the House by a vote of 101 to 73 and the Senate by a vote of 33-22, sending it to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto.
Republicans in Georgia have repeatedly floated election changes in the wake of false claims by former President Donald Trump and other Republicans that he lost Georgia’s 16 electoral votes in 2020 because of fraud.
The bill would grant access to Georgia’s ballot to any political party that has qualified for the presidential ballot in at least 20 states or territories. The change could be a boost to independent candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose campaign has spooked Democrats worried it could draw support away from President Joe Biden.
Update: Richard Winger says the AP got this detail about RFK Jr. wrong:
The provision says if a political party or political body is on the ballot for president in at least 20 other states, then it is automatically on for president in Georgia. However, it does not cover independent presidential candidates. Assuming it is signed into law, it will help the No Labels, Green, and Constitution Parties. It won’t help Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., because he expects to be an independent candidate in almost all states, not a minor party nominee. At the most his “We the People Party” will only be on in six states.
The Libertarian Party is already on the ballot for president and other statewide offices. It is not clear if the 2012 court order requiring the state to let presidential candidates on the ballot with at least 7,500 signatures is still in effect. Logically, because the legislature didn’t change the law regarding independent candidates, it should still be in effect for independent presidential candidates.