Secretary of State Karen Handel says she’s concerned about future impact of a Thursday ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court. In a decision concerning Democrat Jim Powell and whether he should be removed from the ballot in his District-4 candidacy for a Public Service Commission seat, the state’s top court says his name should stay. The court says Handel "committed an error of law" when she disqualified Powell based on his application for a homestead exemption at a residence outside the district he’s seeking. The court said Handel could have taken into account other rules determining residency. Handel, a Republican, in her statement Thursday said the ruling paves the way for an avalanche of residency claims in future candidate qualifying periods. Handel says her office would not have a clear standard to evaluate candidates’ status.
