Ohio held its primary on May 8. On June 21, the Secretary of State released data on how many voters chose each party’s primary ballot. The three parties that had primaries are the Republican, Democratic, and Green Parties. This data is important, because there is no question on the Ohio voter registration form asking the applicant to choose a party (or to choose independent status). Instead, the only party membership data in Ohio is the number of voters who choose each party’s primary ballot.
Here is the Secretary of State’s report. It shows that the Green Party now is considered to have 7,353 members. Before the primary, the state considered the party to have 4,200 members.
The Ohio Libertarian Party expects to be on the ballot in November, and will submit its party petition on July 2. Then it will nominate by convention. Each of its nominees then must submit his or her own petition at that point, consisting of 50 names for statewide office, and 5 for district office. But because it didn’t have a primary, the state considers the party not to have any members.
Yet another reason/example —
NO primaries.
—
PR and AppV
More mindless moron govt stuff —
picking a ballot makes a person a *member* of the hack party gang !!!
Any other stuff connected with such *membership* ???
— paying dues, taking blood oaths, attending clubby meetings, etc. ???
The concept of party affiliation appears to be new in Ohio – perhaps an effort to shift to a registration by party, so that the Green and Libertarian parties may be disqualified for insufficient registrations.
Ohio statute has not changed the system where a voter has to declare fealty to a new party at a primary, and at least in theory is subject to a challenge. Oddly, one can change parties to run for office, but not to sign a petition for a party candidate. Ordinary voters can only change affiliation at the primary.
The Green Party is interesting. The Green Party had 4200 affiliated voters. Only 270 voted in the Green Party (6.4%). Remember the only way to have become affiliated with the party was have voted in a previous primary.
Switches to other primaries: Democratic (8.0%), Republican (6.3%), Issues only (4.9%). This means 3122 (74.3%) did not vote this year.
But 4368 persons voted in the Green primary in 2018. Only 270 (6.2%) were existing Greens, 1297 (29.7%) were Democrats, 896 (20.5%) were Republicans, 1747 (40.0%) were unaffiliated, 14 (0.3%) were Libertarian, and 1 (0.02%) was a Constitution.
The switchers from the Democratic and Republican party may have been voters who switched to vote in the presidential primary (the Greens did not have a presidential preference primary, and had unopposed candidates for other offices), but a more likely explanation is that Green voters are fairly casual or unsophisticated voters. They get talked into voting in the primary, and when asked whether they want to be a D, R. G, or an issues only ballot, they decide “issues only” sounds boring and ask for a “G” ballot. Most don’t bother to show up for another primary. Those that do, have learned to ask for a “D” or “R”.
But you have a new batch of casual or unsophisticated voters who ask for a “G” ballot.
Contrary to what Richard Winger indicated, Ohio does have a count of Libertarian voters, which has been decreasing since there is no way to become a Libertarian without voting in a primary. The Natural Law and Socialists appear to have disappeared. There are a handful of Constitution voters.
The LP is a DIRECT threat to the Elephants in ALL States —
even more than the Greens are to the Donkeys.