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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Carrie L. Williams
Editor-in-Chief
1.404.397.7667

3.11.22
QUALIFYING WEEK: 
POLITICAL INDEPENDENT AL BARTELL, COMMUNITY LEADERS ADDRESS 
BARRIERS, BENEFITS TO RUNNING INDEPENDENT IN GEORGIA
Governor Candidate Shares Veteran Passion, “Walk With Destiny”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA --

"We all paid the same fee to qualify as candidates for Governor. The difference is, all the other candidates' names are guaranteed to be listed on the ballot. My name is not. I still have to get 64,000 signatures to have my name be listed on the ballot." -- Al Bartell

Georgia Independent Candidate for Governor Al Bartell is pointing to the difference in Georgia’s laws for candidates running as Independent. Laws vary by state as to what is required of a candidate or what is termed a “third party” (meaning a party other than the Republican Party or the Democratic Party), in being able to have candidates appear before voters on the voting ballot. 

Georgia is known to have one of the most difficult, burdensome, and oppressive ballot qualifying processes in the nation. These processes are required by state law for third parties and Independent candidates to have their party/name be approved/placed on the ballot. For an Independent candidate running for Governor in 2022 such as Al Bartell, a little over 64,000 signatures on petitions have to be submitted to the Secretary of State by July 12th. Those signature petitions must then be certified throughout the state’s 159 county boards of election.

The barriers presented by Georgia's ballot qualifying processes are not without reason, Bartell told community leaders on Friday after qualifying week came to an official close.

“Georgia is one of the most difficult states to run in as an Independent candidate,” Bartell shared, “because the Republican and Democratic parties are in collusion – and they want to keep it that way, and keep control.”

One of the community leaders present with Bartell on Friday explained what he saw was a critical benefit in Bartell running for Governor as an Independent, in spite of the extremely high signature requirement for Bartell’s name to be placed on the ballot in November.

“What people fail to understand is that any elected official, whether they’re a Democrat or a Republican, when they go in [to office], they have to follow their party’s agenda,” Stone of StreetGroomers of Georgia informs. “A party is going to hold onto their agenda, no matter what position you hold[ as an elected official].....But here’s an Independent candidate[Bartell] who doesn’t have to deal with a party – all he has to do is deal with the people.”

Stone adds, “That’s what I feel is so important today.”
MVP TV Network C overage: Al Bartell For Governor
Pete Wheeler Georgia War Veterans Memorial Site
March 11, 2022
A Vietnam-era Air Force veteran with a passion for “not leaving anyone behind”, Bartell took time on Friday to elaborate about the bigger picture at play for voters -- a scenario that has grown increasingly divisive.

In an era of U.S. politics that's being called the greatest period of divisiveness since the American Civil War -- with the state of Georgia being designated as "ground zero" for the Presidential election cycle of 2024 -- Bartell did not hold back in his answers about running as an Independent in the following interview exchanges with MVP TV:

“Community-based involvement in the decision-making process of government is not possible now…The barrier to that is hyper-partisanship, where the multi-billion dollar matrix makes money by having the two [parties] fight against each other – in a multi-million dollar media matrix.

"I’m interested in bringing something to bear called a community empowerment-community engagement matrix. 

"Most politicians don’t have the courage to communicate that – because they know they’re not going to get those corporate dollars.

"I’m interested in making that the cornerstone of my public policy as we move forward into the 21st century.”

And Bartell realizes he can’t – and won’t – be doing that alone. 
“This veteran can bring it, when it comes to guiding us into the next era for the state of Georgia,” asserts Mrs. Culpepper of Middle Georgia, a veteran herself. “We always talk about the American Dream, but if you want to be a part of history today, we need those [petition] signatures.”

“This is a call to action,” emphasizes Community Leader and StreetGroomers President L.A. Pink. “We are standing for change – positive change….We are so thankful and grateful that he[Bartell] accepted the call.”

Laying out his policies as Governor to have the 12 regions of Georgia utilize community-based input, from transportation projects to small business development dollars, assuring the technology/communication framework already exists to include all of Georgia’s communities -- rural, urban, or suburban – Bartell reached out to the people of Georgia in his closing message on Friday:

“I have to have signatures on a petition to say that I can be on the ballot in the November election. I have to have 64,000 signatures to say that. It’s clear I’m not going to be able to do that alone. But with you – as neighborhood leaders, community leaders, faith leaders, and small business leaders across Georgia – we can take on this ‘walk with destiny’.” 
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