Here is another Interview with Libertarian Garrett Hayes candidate for Georgia Governor.

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Libertarians struggle for ballot access

By Eric Hudson

ehudson@news-daily.com



On Tuesday Garrett Hayes, Libertarian candidate for governor, will be on the campaign trail at the Morrow City Hall. While his bid to be governor may be difficult, getting on the ballot may have been the real challenge.

“It is easier to get on the ballot in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia than it is to get on the ballot in the state of Georgia,” Hayes said.

Doug Craig, political director for the Georgia Libertarian Party, said by state law there are two different levels a party is classified by when trying to get a ballot. There is the major party status, which both Democrats and Republicans receive because they receive more than 20 percent of the vote. Next is where the Libertarian Party is. Craig said the party turned in petitions from 1 percent of registered voters in the state. Once the party receives at least one percent of the vote, the party can run again without getting petitions on the state level, however the party still has to get signatures for races on the county or city level. Hayes said the Libertarian Party crossed this threshold in the 1980s.

“It’s not that we don’t want to run local candidates, it’s just that we can’t,” said Craig.

For the Libertarian Party to get on the ballot for local races, signatures have to be collected from 5 percent of the local registered voters. Craig said that constantly trying to get signatures for each election cycle was difficult and took its toll.

“We were going to try to run for county commissioner (in Clayton), but we were burned out [and] couldn’t run a regular campaign,” said Craig.

Hayes said in 2002 Libertarian Wayne Parker attempted to run for the U.S. House of Representatives 11th District.

“We collected 18,000 signatures. When they were finished verifying all the signatures (for registered voters) it had whittled down to 9,500 signatures. That still wasn’t enough to get him on the ballot.”

Craig said that the party wants to change the law to make getting on the ballot easier, but he acknowledged it is a tough challenge.

“All they (Democrats and Republicans) are doing is protecting their turf.”

Craig said that one of the areas most audible Libertarians, Neal Boortz, does not completely align with the state party. Boortz has espoused more Republican ideals on topics such as the war in Iraq, said Craig.

Hayes said there is an easy way to know if you are a Libertarian.

“You have to ask have you had enough? Personally, I am sick and tired of the plantation mentality of Republicans and Democrats who make sweetheart deals.”

One poll released last week showed Republican Sonny Perdue leading with 52 percent of vote, Democrat Mark Taylor had 32 percent, 10 percent undecided and 6 percent for Hayes.

Hayes will be at the Morrow City Hall, located at 1500 Morrow Road, Tuesday at 7 p.m.