Because Ohio has no valid law in place on how a group becomes a qualified party, and because no bill to create a valid law is close to passing, the Ohio Secretary of State will leave the Constitution, Green, Libertarian, and Socialist Parties on the ballot for the 2010 election. Those four parties were also on the ballot in Ohio in 2008.
However, because the Ohio Constitution requires all ballot-qualified parties to nominate by primary, these parties must choose their nominees in a primary in May 2010. Candidates running for public office in primaries need their own petitions. For qualified minor parties, statewide candidates need 500 signatures to get on their own party’s primary ballot. Candidates running for U.S. House or state legislature or partisan county office need 25 signatures. Those petitions are due on February 18, 2010. The requirement for a primary was waived in 2008 because the four parties put on the ballot did not get on the ballot (via court order) until after the March 2008 primary was over.
Although HB 260 has passed the House, it has made no headway in the Senate. That bill sets out petition requirements for parties to get on the ballot. If that bill had passed already, minor parties would need 10,057 signatures to get on the 2010 ballot. But, obviously, no one can expect any party to fulfill a requirement that doesn’t exist yet.
This is amazing news (although I already knew about it from being involved with the Green Party of Ohio).
The best part about it is the fact that third party members can register officially by voting in their respective primary next year.
Once again, the state legislature is failing to act on something. How about we get some G, L, S, C into the legislature instead of just D and R? The requirements are as low as they are ever going to be, so 2010 is the year.
Go to the LPO.org web site and see the candidates we are running. There will be a LOT more by February 18, 2010.
That’s great news. There will probably be at least one third party candidate per district running next year.
how many are the greens running? i have to say i wish they had a stronger candidate for Gov.
I’m running for state rep.
Were looking for other candidates, while trying to draft a plan for electing the coordinating committee and county committees, so we have our hands full.
Dennis Spisak is a strong candidate.
If you are ready to get involved, check out http://www.cpofohio.org
Is there a formal Socialist Party of Ohio. To my knowledge, most of the 2008 organizing came from Matt Erard, who ran in Michigan last year.
Every election is NEW and has ZERO to do with any prior election — for ALL candidates in ALL election areas.
Way too difficult for the armies of lawyer/judge MORONS in all 50 States to understand.
ALL this JUNK is due to the party hacks in creating *official* ballots in primaries and general elections in the late 1800s — now about 10,000 years ago politically.
The Donkey/Elephant party hack judges put up with the UNEQUAL stuff — since they are at the core PARTY HACKS — in any *political* case.
Pingback: Ohio Will Keep Four Alternative Parties on 2010 Ballot | Independent Political Report
Let’s not forget that in Ohio, the only way to register with a political party , is via the Primary– NO mail-in option. And, by having people register for a party at the primary, we have an available list of potential supporters for the future.
This is the hand we have been dealt with in Ohio. One step at a time and the first step is to GET on the BALLOT. We are fighting over 100 years of ballot access obstruction.
That is fascinating that the primary system is utilized for the nomination of candidates for even the smaller parties. It is the same system that we use here in California.
It seems possible that candidates from other leftist parties could contest for nomination of the Socialist Party of Ohio – much like they do for the Peace and Freedom Party of California ballot line. It does not seem likely that the Socialist Party could do anything about that – other than to say that (if the candidates of other parties won) they were not part of, or endorsed by, the Socialist Party.
That is one more piece of evidence to indicate that the Peace and Freedom Party of California could affiliate, nationally, with the Socialist Party USA; and that there would not be any out-of-the-ordinary problems with doing so. Certain leaders in PFP-CA are always looking for little things to point to in order to discredit the idea of a national affiliation. None of them pan out. For instance, look at the party card and dues issue. There would be no problem with that in actual reality: The Libertarian Party has two forms of membership: (A) formal membership by joining the Party and paying dues; and (B) informal membership by registering to vote with the Party. Furthermore, in Europe, Parties like the Socialist and Social Democratic Parties are in the mainstream of the political body and there are no problems of that type there, either.
Although I would like to see the Peace and Freedom Party (and the Liberty Union Party) affiliate with SP-USA, they are both more of a “united leftist” party whereas the SP-USA is only democratic socialist (at least, in theory).
Well, the Liberty Union Party of Vermont is not a Party that I know enough about to be authoritative on. I do know much about the Peace and Freedom Party of California, though. Much of the dysfunctional nature of PFP-CA is caused by its “united leftist” structure. With that being said, though, I have to say at the same time (and this is something that I have been saying for many years now); I think that it actually would have been good for the Party to have been take over a couple of times or so by one of the little left Parties trying to do so. What happened instead was that PFP-CA expended a whole lot of time and energy fighting not to be taken over (while, at the same time, welcoming all these little groups but having no “poision pill” mechanism in place) and became weaker in the process.
Yes, the Socialist Party USA is a democratic socialist Party. It also claims to be a “multi-tendency” Party. The difference between PFP-CA and SPUSA – in effectiveness right now, in reality, is very, very marginal. The main difference, I think, is that SPUSA has a lot of growth potential. PFP-CA does not – unless it makes some drastic changes in leadership and planning.
By the way, I am a member of the Socialist Party USA. SPUSA is not on the ballot in California. I am registered to vote with the Democratic Party.
Pingback: Primetime News!
As a citizen that is just now seeing like-minded candidates (to me) in the voting booth and knowing hundreds if not thousands of others feel the same way in Ohio, and knowing that Ohio is still stuck in the last century– the 19th, then this IS “PRIME TIME” news to me. Women fought for their rights in the early 20th century, minorities fought for their rights in the 1950’s and 60’s, and now minor parties will fight for theirs– and lets’ remember that some of these minor parties WILL become major parties in time. If not, we as a country, are doomed with the two party duopoly we have allowed to take over.
By 2012, the Republican Party will be a minor-sized party. I have been saying and writing this for the past few years. I think that I will stop repeating this for awhile. While I still think that it will happen, I am guessing that some people are tired of hearing me say it. Let us just see if it happens.
A main point that I want to make is this: I think that the chances are very good, “Buckeye Kned,” that the current two party duopoly will soon be over. The small party that is the strongest, best organized, and most in touch with the mood of the electorate, will come in and fill the void left by the GOP.
Pingback: Starrett to run for County Commissioner in Oregon! remember Pearl Harbor†« Rock County Constitution Party Blog
Pingback: Green candidates in Ohio need only 25 signatures in 2010
Dennis Spisak is a strong candidate.
Just wanted to second that statement.
Indeed Dennis Spisak appears to be a strong candidate for the Ohio Green Party.
He is an incumbent in local office. His frequent press releases at http://www.GreenPartyWatch.org are informative, well written.
Dennis Spisak(G) has a proven record of getting elected, and then years of dedicated service to his community. Spisak is intelligent, informed, thoughtful, inclusive, considerate. He is working (what appears to be) night and day to recruit more candidates to the Green Party and provide Ohio voters a serious slate of Green Party candidates, and most importantly positive Green alternatives on the ballot for Ohio voters.
One can only wish them the greatest success.
Great article.