On July 27, Ohio Representative Jim Trakas introduced House Bill 638, which lets candidates who use the independent procedure choose a partisan label. Any short label that doesn’t mimic the name of a fully-qualified party is permitted. Thus, labels such as “Green” or “Libertarian” would be permitted. A slight majority of states already let candidates who use the independent petition method choose such a label.

Since the existing Ohio procedures for new parties are so difficult (none has qualified since 2000), minor party candidates in Ohio almost always use the independent procedure. But under the old law, their campaigns are handicapped because the appropriate party label is missing. For example, this year, both the Green Party and the Libertarian Party used the independent procedure to put their gubernatorial nominees on the November ballot. But both are stuck with the silly label “Other-party candidate”. If HB 638 passes, in the future they would have the proper label.

Meanwhile, the Libertarian Party’s lawsuit against the new party procedures is still pending in the 6th circuit. The hearing was on September 14, 2005. A decision could come at any time.