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State News Release - Nov 22, 2002 |
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Georgia Green Party |
| Georgia Write-In Candidates Show Gains Over 1998 Results, Greens' Questions Lead to Re-Tabulation of Write-In Totals. |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Secretary of State Cathy Cox certified election results for the 2002 General Election last Friday. But Green Party activists pointed out discrepancies between county reports and the state's final totals, leading Ann Hicks, Assistant Director of the Georgia Elections Division to spend most of this week working with counties across the state to ensure an accurate count and revealing hundred of write-in votes not previously accounted for. "We know that being denied ballot access hampers our ability to compete effectively in the electoral arena," said Badili Jones, Chair of the Georgia Party and a national Party Co-Chair, as well. "Denying us access to the ballot is used as an excuse to keep our candidates and the issues they raise out of the media, out of the debates and out of the view of the voting public. Nonetheless, we are proud that these results show that we continue to grow." According to Monday's first adjustments to the certified returns, the write-in slate of three state-wide candidates nominated by the Georgia Green Party in 2002 pulled votes from 51 of Georgia 159 counties, up from 39 counties which gave votes to the Party's four member 1998 slate. And with 1,008 votes from forty-six counties acknowledged in the certification, Nan Garrett nearly tripled the results of Hugh Lovel, the Party's 1998 nominee for Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia, who led that year's slate as its highest vote-getter. Ms. Hicks hopes that the Secretary of State's office will be prepared to issue corrected returns by Monday or Tuesday of this coming week. In 2000, the Party made history by polling over 13,000 write-ins for Ralph Nader, its Presidential Nominee, drawing votes from 133 counties. With 40,000 votes, the Party would be able to retain ballot access under the same rules which allow Libertarians to place their state-wide candidates on Georgia's ballots. "Our Glynn County School Board candidate's 30% showing demonstrates what is possible when Greens are on the ballot," said Mr. Jones. "Underneath these numbers is a rising tide of local party activists who will build the new affiliates which will carry our Party to the next level. Come April, our next ballot access petition drive will be fueled by the experience we have gained these past three cycles and the growing body of Greens who are frustrated by being shut out of the critical debates on public policy." Both Ralph Nader, the Green Party's Presidential candidate from 2000, and Georgia's own U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney, have already been testing the waters as if preparing to contest for a place on the Party's 2004 national slate. "With a contested nominating process likely, our next petition drive is expected to generate more enthusiasm than ever before," said Ms. Garrett. "The Libertarians worked for a decade to secure their ballot line. We know this is a learning and growing process. The passion I encountered on the campaign trail says to me that our time is near." Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox certified the results from the November 5th, 2002 General Election on Friday, November 15th. Preliminary results released that afternoon show that the Green Party took more than half of its write-in votes from Clarke and Dekalb Counties, home to two of the Party's seven affiliates. Two more Applications for Affiliation are expected to be considered by the state Party's Council at its December meeting. Party supporters in seven additional counties are currently organizing to build future affiliates of the Party, as well. Three potential candidates have approached the Party discussing local races for the next cycle, so far. "It appears we may double the number of affiliated counties out of our work this election cycle," said Hugh Esco, 2002 candidate for Lieutenant Governor and the Party's Executive Director. "Ballot Access News has reported that the Greens are the only Party showing membership and registration growth. And that includes the D's and R's, too." ---------------------------------
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