On August 6, the Logan County, Ohio Board of Elections voted to keep independent candidate Ben Stahler on the ballot. He is running for President of the Bellefontaine city council. He was challenged on the basis that he is not a true independent. He had attended a Republican Party dinner on March 31, 2025, the day before he filed his petition to be on the ballot as an independent. See this story.

Ohio has the nation’s most arbitrary law on who can be an independent candidate. It is common for challengers to cite personal behavior. If Ohio had registration by party, the law wouldn’t be so arbitrary. But the Ohio voter registration form does not ask about partisan affiliation or the lack of it.