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Green Party Vows Support as Elaine Brown Fights Disqualification Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Contacts: GREENS VOW TO SUPPORT BRUNSWICK, GA., MAYORAL CANDIDATE ELAINE BROWN IN HER FIGHT AGAINST DISQUALIFICATION WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders pledged support for Elaine Brown, Green candidate for Mayor of Brunswick, Georgia, after the Glynn County Board of Elections announced that Ms. Brown was disqualified from participating in the November 8 election. The board voted on Friday, October 14, to disqualify Ms. Brown, claiming that she had not lived in Brunswick long enough to be a candidate. "It's obvious that Elaine was seen as a significant threat to powerful wealthy interests who wanted her removed from the race," said Rev. Zach Lyde, a member of the Glynn County Green Party. "We believe these same interests influenced the Glynn County Board of Elections." "Elaine Brown was running a people's campaign, defending Brunswick's majority African American and poor population against 'Blueprint Brunswick', a development plan according to which the city will evict thousands from their homes, using sweeping powers of eminent domain," Rev. Lyde added. "This was a Republican hatchet job against a strong, credible candidate seen as a viable threat. We will assist in whatever way we can with Elaine's legal challenge in Glynn County Superior Court." Ms. Brown has asserted that her residency was sufficiently established by November 5, 2004, when she registered to vote in Brunswick, in accord with the one-year residency requirement for a candidate to appear on the ballot on November 8, 2005. Ms. Brown has cited a Georgia Supreme Court decision confirming that registration in time for the election in which a candidate seeks to participate is sufficient for the purpose of seeking local office. According to The Brunswick News ("Brown tossed from ballot," October 15), "Board members said their decision was based on a feeling that, for the purpose of elections, residence is best defined as a place of domicile. They agreed with Brown's assertion that an individual can have more than one residence -- as she contended she did -- but felt she did not sufficiently prove she moved to Brunswick in November rather than December." "The Brunswick News article on the 'feeling' of the elections board reveals that its decision was entirely subjective, and based on patent bias against someone they consider an upstart candidate," said Nan Garrett, co-chair of the Georgia Green Party. "Ms. Brown's disqualification recalls not only the vote manipulation and obstruction documented in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004, but also the collusion between Democrats and Republicans to keep third party and independent candidates off ballots across the U.S." Green Parties throughout the U.S. have fought to overturn restrictive ballot access laws. Greens noted in September, 2004, that while Democrats attempted to disqualify independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader in Florida on technicalities, a 'gentlemen's agreement' between Democrats and Republicans allowed the state of Florida to ignore the fact that George W. Bush's campaign had missed the September 1 filing deadline to place Mr. Bush on the ballot. Greens have faced similar double standards in numerous races <http://www.gp.org/press/pr_09_13_04b.html>. Elaine Brown, a leader of the Black Panther Party in the 1970s, received an endorsement for her 2005 campaign from Rev. Al Sharpton in August. Ms. Brown's Republican opponent in the race is Bryan Thompson, president of Blueprint Brunswick. "The outcome of the mayoral race in Brunswick will determine whether thousands of low income African American residents get to remain in their homes or get thrown out," said Rev. Zach Lyde. "With the decision to disqualify Elaine Brown, the election is now fixed." MORE INFORMATION Green Party of the United States Elaine Brown for Mayor of Brunswick, Georgia Georgia Green Party http://www.greens.org/georgia The Brunswick News http://www.thebrunswicknews.com
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