Toledo Blade Editorializes in Favor of Ballot Labels in Judicial Elections

Ohio has a peculiar system for choosing state judges, including members of the State Supreme Court.  They are nominated in partisan primaries.  Then they run in the general election but no party labels are on the November ballot.  The August 14 issue of the Toledo Blade has this editorial, saying if the state continues to nominate judicial candidates in partisan primaries, then party labels should be on the general election ballot.

However, the editorial also advocates that Ohio stop electing judges.  As the editorial notes, the Democratic Party and others have a pending federal lawsuit, arguing that because Ohio prints partisan labels on the November ballot for other partisan office, the state cannot withhold partisan labels for judicial nominees in the general election.


Comments

Toledo Blade Editorializes in Favor of Ballot Labels in Judicial Elections — 12 Comments

  1. The Great Lakes Super-state Parliament Circuit #7
    Indiana, Michigan and Ohio
    http://www.usparliament.org/ss7.htm

    Dave Thayer [United Society of All], Ashley Buck [Independent], Eric Smith [Republican], Joel Harris [Independent], Jeff Herman [Third], Mable Kovach [Democratic], Marie Phillips [Democratic], Dennis Davidsmeyer [Democratic], Michael A. Cluley [America First], Austin Post [Independent], Mark Steele [Discordian], Gigglebear [Pot], Dan Calson [American Pot], Aleah Smith [Pot], Nick Watson [Pot], Paula Leikari [Democratic], Patricia Grimmett [Independent], Paul Marcel-Rene’ [LDS], Ed Blythsly [Pot], James Tipton [Pot], Cody Allen Jenkins [Pot], Katherine Nivens [Republican], Cody Priest [Pot], Pamela Brett Albers [Republican], Nate Wien [Pot], Luke Pfister [Pot], Joyousone [Democratic], Shawn Brown [Pot], Arthur Miller [No Illegal Alien], Roberta Gottlebe [No Illegal Alien], Anonymous [Republican], Michal McKay [Pot], Erica Wells [Pot], Jeremiah Freedom [Michigan Top Rep.], Casper Leitch [Independent], Michael Davis [Communist]

  2. The 6th California Super-state Parliament Circuit #11
    Updated on 8/6/2010
    8/6/2010 through 8/5/2014
    http://www.usparliament.org/ss11.htm

    Five Elected Executives
    Prime Minister PRAVDA McCroskey [Democratic]
    Secretary Gail Lightfoot [Libertarian]
    Prime Minister Lynnette Shaw [Democratic]
    Secretary Jim Doyle [Republican]
    Prime Minister Virgil Hales [Green-Pot-Christ]

    Two Elected Full Ministers
    Attorney General Minister Jack Harrison [Peace and Freedom]
    Communications Minister Alex Plewniak [Libertarian]

    One Elected Deputy Minister
    Deputy Attorney General Kennith Weissman [Libertarian]

    One Hundred Elected Members of Super-state Parliament (MSPs)

    Libertarian Party – 30 MSPs
    Starchild, Mary J. Ruwart, Gail Lightfoot, Pamela J. Brown, Cory Nott, Lawrence Samuels, Kristi Stone, Marian Smithson, Sandi Web, Dale Ogden, Donna Tello, Richard Winger, Ned Roscoe, Vince Carlton [Libertarian at Large], Richard Vinable, Steve Kubby, Mark Hinkle, Alex Plewniak, Dwight Bailey, Tony Monroe, Dave LeBlanc, Richard Rider, Richard S. Bronstein, Michael Metti, Byron Stephens, Richard Newell, Andrew “Andy” Favor, Timothy J. Hannon, Angela Keaton and Kevin Takenaga

    Pot Party – 20 MSPs
    Bouhlod Khembisai, Mark Rodrigues, Ezekial Mitchel, Robert S., Jim Cruise, James May, Adam Meed, Phil Zek, Chuck John, Adam Morgan, Josh Nickson, Junior Stevenson [Pothead], Evan Santos, Rory Hicks [Liberal-Pot], Kyle Kirby, Jason Maya, Brad Orand, Jesse Waterman, Brent Nevile and Alex Haser [Pothead]

    Parties With One Seat – 11 MSPs
    Christina Adams [Environmentalist], Vanessa Moreley [Defender of the Republic], Cherish Prieditis [Anarchist], John Bergamini [Food Not Bombs], Allen McKinney [Open], Sterling [Hemp], Joel Castle [Intelligence], Eddy Lepp [Nonpartisan], Marci Pinkard [Decline to State], Darryl Perry [Boston Tea] and Jim Doyle [Republican]

    Peace and Freedom Party – 12 MSPs
    Jack Harrison, Debra L. Reiger, Jan Tucker, Stewart Alexander, Karen Martinez, Dina Josephine Padilla, CT Weber, Marylou Cabral, Janice Jordan, Carlos Alverez, Mohammed Arif and Robert J. Evans

    Independents – 5 MSPs
    Christina Tobin, Lucia Goin, Jerry Leon Carroll, Amory and Neil Brian Goldberg

    Information Not Available – 4 MSPs
    Bob Watkins, Ani Defranco, Carlos Santana and Mark Williams

    Marijuana Party – 4 MSPs
    David Payne, James Barbee [Free Marijuana], Thressia Keys and Edward Zuniga

    American Independent Party – 3 MSPs
    Diane Bealle Templin, Markham Robinson and Don Lake

    Free and Equal Party – 3 MSPs
    James Ogle, Wayne Christopher and Babette Hogan

    Green Party – 3 MSPs
    Virgil Hales [Green-Pot-Christ], Kevin Clark [Green Libertarian] and Ross Frankel

    Free Parliamentary – 3 MSPs
    Laura Booth, Daniel Penisten [Free Parliament] and Adrian Hickman

    Constitution Party – 2 MSPs
    Chelene Nightingale and Joseph Sobran

    Total – 100 MSPs
    President Christina Tobin [Independent] and Vice President James Ogle [Free and Equal]
    Updated on first vote count 8/6/2010

  3. (Besides, Swarzenegger needs more good free bad publicity…and double-overtime pay in legal fees for his lawyer friends is like a cherry on top. Between you, Newsom and him, you can rotate roles every few years!)

  4. Proportionalism = working together to get stronger.
    Pluralism = fighting to get stronger.
    It’s clear some choose the 2nd path,
    and claimed “not interested” in the 1st.

  5. Appointed judges = more party hacks — just like all Federal judges.

    Nonpartisan nominations and elections of all elected executive officers and all judges — using Approval Voting.

  6. Demo Rep wrote:
    [“…”]
    “Nonpartisan nominations and elections of all elected executive officers and all judges”

    OK so far…

    “— using Approval Voting.”

    Hahahahahahsahahahahaha

    Approval voting is mathematically inferior to pure proportional representation, because ranked voting easily breaks more ties. –James

  7. …oh and partisan elections are superior to nonpartisan elections because one word(s) of free speech beside each name is more helpful to the voter than no word(s) of free speech. No word(s) of free speech is pretty much BOOOoooring.

  8. P.R. and App.V. — regardless of math juveniles on this list — pending advanced head to head math — requiring LOTS of public education.

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