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Fulton judge overturns Georgia secretary of state decision in favor of third-party ballot presence • Georgia Recorder

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Fulton judge overturns Georgia secretary of state decision in favor of third-party ballot presence • Georgia Recorder


Georgians could have fewer choices for president when they go to vote this November after two Fulton County Superior Court judges reversed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s decision and ruled independent candidate Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz with the Party for Socialism and Liberation are not eligible to run for president in the state.

The Wednesday decision marks a win for the Democratic Party of Georgia, which filed suit to remove the candidates.

With early voting set to begin in just over a month, the judges ordered Raffensperger to post notices at polling places in cases where there is insufficient time to print new ballots.

Both candidates have vowed to appeal.

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“Across the country, the Democratic Party is using the courts to wage an assault on democracy,” De la Cruz said in a statement. “They are backed by their billionaire friends, and super PACs like Clear Choice which have raised huge sums of money for the explicit goal of removing third party candidates. We will appeal this ruling. People in Georgia should have the right to vote for the candidate of their choice.”

Claudia De la Cruz, left, and Karina Garcia are running for President and Vice-President as the candidates of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, but a Fulton County ruling is set to keep them off Georgia ballots. Photo via De la Cruz campaign

Both West and De la Cruz have criticized the Democrat’s nominee Vice President Kamala Harris from her left and could conceivably attract votes from progressives who favor her over Republican former President Donald Trump, but dislike Harris’ economic policies or her backing of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which inspired protests in college campuses across the nation, including in Georgia. In what is expected to be a close race, a small number of third-party votes lost to the independents could make a difference.

West’s campaign urged voters to support the third-party challenger despite the ruling.

“We are appealing this decision, which negates the basic democratic rights of the people of Georgia to vote for the candidate of their choice,” said Edwin DeJesus, a spokesperson for the West campaign. “We will not stand by as the democratic process is undermined. This ruling is a direct assault on the voters’ rights to choose their leaders, and we are fighting to ensure that every Georgian can vote for a candidate who truly represents their values and visions for the future.”

Neither the Democratic Party of Georgia nor the secretary of state’s office responded to requests for comment Thursday, but Raffensperger, a Republican, referenced the cases in a Twitter thread Tuesday.

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“Partisan activists are attempting to tilt the scales of this election and I believe that is wrong. This election will be decided by Georgia’s voters and not political activists,” he wrote. “The law is clear, and these qualified candidates have a right to be on Georgia’s ballot, and I will fight for voters’ rights every day to choose the candidate for whom they want to elect.”

Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver and Green Party Candidate Jill Stein will appear on Georgia ballots – Oliver because Libertarians received a sufficient number of votes in the previous election, and Stein because she qualified under a new state law granting ballot access to candidates on the ballot in at least 20 other states. They will join the major party contenders, Trump and Harris, at the top of the ticket.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was previously leading the third-party pack, though still far behind the major party frontrunners, dropped out of the race in late August and endorsed Trump.

A Quinnipiac poll conducted Sept. 4 through Sept. 8 found Trump leading in Georgia with 49% of the vote to Harris’ 45%, with West and De la Cruz both receiving about 1% of the vote each and neither Oliver nor Stein breaking 1%. The poll’s margin of error is 3.2%.

The poll was conducted prior to this week’s televised debate between Harris and Trump, which could be the only in-person face-off between the two major party candidates.

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Created in a small Georgia town, a cup has become 1 of the World Cup’s biggest souvenirs

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Created in a small Georgia town, a cup has become 1 of the World Cup’s biggest souvenirs


They were designed to hold a drink, but cups produced in Rome, Georgia, have become one of the FIFA Men’s World Cup’s most unexpected souvenirs.

Inside the Top Cup plant in Rome, millions of cups were created to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event.

“We made 10 million over 70 different graphics for the World Cup,” said Rome native and Top Cup General Manager Zach Dixon.

The plant in north Georgia produces up to 750,000 cups a day.

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“We’ve always been really proud of the cup … but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Top Cup CEO David Cuthbert.

Fans have been taking them home from matches. Some have even been listed for sale online.

“We’ve always been really proud of the cup… but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Cuthbert.

Dixon said they begin the process with massive coils of aluminum, each weighing about 30,000 pounds. The metal is stamped, stretched, washed, and moved down the line.

The plant produces about 1,100 cups every minute.

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Ricardo Marques, the senior vice president of marketing for Michelob ULTRA, said that there have been venue-specific, match-specific, and Finals-specific stadium cups for the World Cup. There are also three separate red, white, and blue designs available for fans at bars and restaurants around the U.S.

“We’ve seen an incredible response to the collection. Together, these commemorative cups give fans a unique keepsake and a lasting reminder of an unforgettable FIFA World Cup experience and the moments that brought millions of people together through the world’s game,” Marques said.

Cuthbert said his company has seen how the World Cup has done wonders for metro Atlanta businesses.

“Our team in Rome, Georgia takes tremendous pride in helping bring this fan experience to life for one of the world’s biggest sporting events,” he said.

So when soccer fans celebrate the surprise victory or mourn their last-minute loss, they’re doing so with a little piece of Georgia.

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Mayor Kelly Girtz Inducted Into Georgia Municipal Hall of Fame

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Mayor Kelly Girtz Inducted Into Georgia Municipal Hall of Fame


Kelly Girtz (second from left) recently became the first Athens mayor in 40 years to be inducted into the Georgia Municipal Government Hall of Fame in Savannah.  The Georgia Municipal cited Girtz’s work on housing affordability, economic development, transportation, environmental sustainability, literacy and preserving local Black history. Under his leadership, Athens-Clarke County has made significant progress in housing affordability, economic development, transportation, and environmental sustainability. In 2022, the community adopted an inclusionary zoning policy designed to expand affordable housing options and encourage thoughtful, equitable growth. He has also championed redevelopment initiatives that have created new mixed-income housing opportunities and strengthened neighborhoods throughout the community. “Mayor Kelly Girtz has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to building a community where every resident has […]



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Athlon Sports tabs Florida-Georgia among SEC’s best games in 2026

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Athlon Sports tabs Florida-Georgia among SEC’s best games in 2026


Athlon Sports projected the best SEC games for each week of the 2026 regular season.

The conference features some of the most compelling matchups in all of college football, from opening weekend through rivalry week. The selections emphasize games anticipated to have the biggest impact on the SEC championship race and College Football Playoff picture.

Florida’s annual clash with Georgia was tabbed as one of the SEC’s premier fixtures. The game has grown in national significance since it began in 1904, continuing as a battle of blue-blood programs that routinely produces iconic results. The game temporarily moves to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during the Jacksonville stadium renovations.

The Jon Sumrall era carries with it an increasing sense of belief — many experts see the Gators as a dark-horse CFB playoff contender. Regardless of its final win-loss record, UF will play a part in shaping the season’s narrative as they face several post-season favorites in Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma.

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Noted in the article is the SEC’s depth and newly implemented nine-game conference schedule. Georgia, Texas, Alabama and LSU appear multiple times on this list, with Georgia facing Alabama in Week 6 and Ole Miss in Week 10 while LSU hosts Clemson in Week 1 and will see Texas in Week 11 take on Alabama.

Many contenders from the SEC face multiple nationally relevant foes over the course of the season.

Athlon Sports’ Best game for every week of the 2026 season

  • Week 1: Clemson at LSU (Sept. 5)
  • Week 2: Ohio State at Texas (Sept. 12)
  • Week 3: LSU at Ole Miss (Sept. 19)
  • Week 4: Oklahoma at Georgia (Sept. 26)
  • Week 5: Auburn at Tennessee (Oct. 3)
  • Week 6: Georgia at Alabama (Oct. 10)
  • Week 7: Alabama at Tennessee (Oct. 17)
  • Week 8: Ole Miss at Texas (Oct. 24)
  • Week 9: Florida vs. Georgia (Atlanta) (Oct. 31)
  • Week 10: Georgia at Ole Miss (Nov. 7)
  • Week 11: Texas at LSU (Nov. 14)
  • Week 12: Texas A&M at Oklahoma (Nov. 21)
  • Week 13: Texas at Texas A&M (Friday) (Nov. 27)

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.





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