ATLANTA – A recent ruling by a judge in Georgia has cast doubt on the eligibility of four independent and third-party candidates to appear on the state’s presidential ballot. The final decision now rests with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

The ruling would potentially block well-known figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West, Jill Stein, and Claudia De la Cruz from being included on the ballot.

The decision was prompted by a legal challenge from the Democrats who argued that these candidates could siphon votes away from the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the upcoming election.

Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger must make a final decision before military and overseas ballots are mailed out on September 17. His office is currently reviewing the rulings and will make a decision soon.

If the judge’s rulings are upheld, Georgia voters will have a limited choice between Harris, Trump, and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver in the presidential race.

This ruling is part of a broader trend where Democrats and Republican-aligned groups are challenging the inclusion of third-party and independent candidates in various states.

In the cases of Kennedy, West, and De la Cruz, the judge agreed with the state Democratic Party’s argument that petitions for independent candidates must be filed by presidential electors, not the candidates themselves, as per a law change in 2017.

Supporters of the other candidates have accused the Democrats of using technicalities to limit voter choice.