Atlanta Daily World

Easier Qualifying For GOP Candidates Hinted

Republican Party candidates who seek office on a statewide basis may not have to get five per cent of the signatures of registered voters in each Georgia county, if Atty. Gen. Eugene Cook rules as he has indicated.

Final judgement has been withheld pending a written opinion on the issue, however, but Cook said there has never been a requirement under his rulings for the five per cent yardstick to be applied.

Republicans have said they will begin gathering petitions to get a slate of candidates on next year's ballot as soon as they can learn requirements.

"The law according to Cook, "is ambiguous and ought to be annulled by the Georgia Assembly."

The current law requires petition to be signed by "not less than 5 per cent of the registered voters in that territory" in which the race is to be run.

Previously, Republican officials have said it would be very difficult to obtain petitions from five per cent of the registered voters in the state's 159 counties.

In earlier rulings, Cook has held that in congressional and senatorial elections the voters had to come from territories involved, but not the specific counties.

Petitions are required only when a party is offering a candidate for an office for which it did not poll 5 per cent of the vote in the last election.

The attorney general noted, however, that a request by Republicans for an interpretation of the five per cent law had not been received. He said he may issue one anyway to let the public know the truth.