Two state court judges in Georgia have ruled that presidential candidates Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz are disqualified from running for president in the state due to improper paperwork filed by their electors. This decision means that votes for West and De la Cruz will not be counted in Georgia, even though their names will still appear on the ballots as it is too late to remove them.
As a result of the disqualification, the presidential choices for Georgia voters will include Republican Donald Trump, Democrat Kamala Harris, Libertarian Chase Oliver, and Green Party nominee Jill Stein. This marks the most candidates on the ballot in Georgia since 2000, as Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians automatically qualify for elections in the state.
Spokespersons for West and De la Cruz have stated that they will appeal the decision to the Georgia Supreme Court, expressing confidence in winning the appeal and emphasizing the importance of democratic rights for Georgia voters to choose their preferred candidate.
This ruling is the latest development in the ongoing saga of ballot access for independent and third-party candidates in Georgia. The administrative law judge initially disqualified West, De la Cruz, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the Georgia Green Party from the ballot, but Secretary of State Raffensperger overruled the decision, granting access to West and De la Cruz.
Democrats have challenged Raffensperger's decisions, seeking to block candidates who could potentially draw votes away from Harris. The judges' rulings highlighted the failure of West and De la Cruz's electors to meet the required petition criteria, leading to their disqualification from the ballot.
Overall, the disqualification of West and De la Cruz has sparked debates and legal challenges surrounding third-party and independent candidates in Georgia, reflecting broader political strategies and concerns about the electoral process in the state.
