On May 23, the Ohio Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee amended a non-election law bill, HB 509, and passed the bill. The amendment says that for 2012 only, qualified parties that polled at least 20% of the vote in the last election may have until 60 days before the general election to certify the names of their presidential and vice-presidential nominees. All other qualified parties must certify their national nominees no later than 90 days before the general election.

Without the amendment, the Democratic and Republican Parties could not legally have their national tickets appear on the November ballot, because their national conventions are August 27-30 (Republican) and September 3-6 (Democratic). Without the amendment, their certifications would be due on August 8.

The amendment provides that this temporary election law change (for 2012 only) will never be codified in the election code. Thus, it will be virtually invisible to researchers in the future. There seems to be no public policy reason why the law should not be amended for all qualified parties. Ohio has five qualified parties other than the Democratic and Republican Parties. If Americans Elect changed its mind and decided to have a presidential nominee after all, the discriminatory treatment could be injurious to Americans Elect. The other qualified minor parties will have held their presidential conventions by July, or else have already held their national conventions.

The bill will probably pass the Senate very soon, but then it must return to the House for concurrence.