This week, a Federal judge ruled that Georgia’s law requiring third-party and independent candidates to collet signatures from 5% of the voters who voted in the last election is unconstitutional.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May on Monday ruled the law passed in 1943 is “overbroad” and shuts out third-party candidates.  The judge ruled that the barriers to ballot access for third-party candidates violate the First and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

“Even reasonably diligent political-body candidates who have expended considerable time and resources have failed to access Georgia’s ballots,” May wrote.

Under the current law, Democratic and Republican candidates are automatically allowed access to the ballot in Georgia.