On November 10, the Ohio House Elections Committee passed HB 260 by a vote of 7-6. All Democrats voted for it and all Republicans voted against it. It will receive a vote in the House next week. The bill is hundreds of pages long. It includes provisions making it easier for previously unqualified parties to get on the ballot, and also makes it much easier for parties to remain ballot-qualified. The news media generally don’t even mention those parts of the bill. See this story.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
This is one of the few instances I’ve seen where the Democrats support easing ballot access and the Republicans oppose it.
Please everyone, call your house member and ask they support this bill, it is so important to getting our country back, and makes it so much easier for third parties to get ballot access and keeping it…please call everyone and have them call in also…Virginia Brooks, State Chair of the Reform Party of Ohio.
the reform party of ohio is a racist organization and probably includes less than 15 actual members, non the less. This bill is good, I wonder what the politics are behind the bill? the LP is stronger in Ohio than the Greens, that may be part of the pull but who knows.
Let’s get the facts straight. The Libertarian Party of Ohio has done the heavy-lifting on the ballot access issue in Ohio. This includes winning two law suits, and actually drafting the language for ballot access that is in HB # 260. I should know what I am talking about, since I have been on the front lines of this situation since 2007. In fact, the LPO has been to numerous meetings with the SOS, sits on a Voter Rights committee, and just yesterday helped review voter forms. It is nice being invited to the table.
As for the Reform Party, they are not a recognized party in Ohio, and have not been for years. Other alternative parties have also had favorable judgements, after the LP case was determined, and that includes the CP and the Greens of OHio.
As for calling everyone, STOP it for now. We are fighting for our political lives in downtown Columbus. Please, let those that know what they are doing, fight this battle. There is a time to “rattle the cages” and this is NOT one of them. The Ohio House will take care of business. When we get to the Senate, that is another story. At that point, we can fire up the base. For factual information and updates, go to one of the best alternative party web sites in the country, http://www.lpo.org
Sign up for the statewide announcement list and frankly, join in the 4th largest LP affiliate in the country.
The “chair”
#1 Ballot access is a very small part of the bill.
In the Bill Analysis there are 114 separate items. 3 of them have to do with ballot access.
There are a lot of overtones of the Democrats trying to rerun the 2004 election. For an omnibus elections bill from the SoS, it is suspicious that all 13 sponsors are Democrats.
We can help fight back flaws in the bill, once we get ballot access for minor parties. The fact that we have to fight for our 1st amendment rights in the ballot box in Ohio, while the USA tries to spread “democracy” around the world is strange indeed– we don’t have it in Ohio. Every citizen should have the right to vote for their chosen candidate and a party, in the ballot box. And I realize that there needs to be some mininum standards set so the ballot is not overwhelmed. If we can’t have freedom in the ballot box, then where can we find it?
Equal nominating petitions.
P.R. and A.V.
NO party hack primaries are needed.
Way too difficult for the armies of MORON ballot access lawyers and judges to understand.
Demo REP, We could use your help.
How about changing the Ohio Revised Code Title 35 and the Ohio Constitution. Ohio is one of a handful of states set up this way.
Ballot access first, then address the primary system and Board of election members. BOE’s only allow for two people each from Major parties. No minor party members or independents on the BOE at the County level. Interesting eh ?