Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties (ACLU) head to court this week to see if they can get a Gainesville candidate's name restored to the ballot in time for the November general election.
Democrat Maria Palacios qualified to run for State House District 29, but her name was removed from the ballot just before the primary on May 22 when the Secretary of State's Office ruled she had not been a U.S. citizen for the two years required to run for office. Palacios became a U.S. citizen in 2017.
When the ruling came down from the state, the ACLU sued, saying that Palacios had been "a citizen of the state" of Georgia for nine years, which made her eligible to run for public office.
A court date has been set for Wednesday, July 18 at 2:30 p.m. in Fulton County Superior Court. The case will be heard in Fulton County, since the Secretary of State's Office is located in Atlanta.
The ACLU is seeking to have the Secretary of State's ruling reversed. Lawyers want Palacios' name on the ballot in November.
The State House District 29 seat is held currently by Republican Matt Dubnik of Gainesville. If Palacios' candidacy is not restored, Dubnik will be unchallenged in November.
The content of the ACLU lawsuit can be found here.
