On October 30, the Ohio House has taken quite a bit of time debating SB 193, the bill that alters the definition of “political party.” The bill passed informally but that just keeps it on the calendar, and it can’t advance until it passes formally. In the meantime further amendments are still being considered. An amendment has been proposed to require 10,000 signatures for parties that want to appear in 2014.
On October 30, the Ohio House Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee passed SB 193, after amending it to make it less restrictive. The bill, as amended, sets the petition to put a newly-qualifying party on the ballot at one-half of 1% of the last vote cast. Existing law requires 1%. For 2014, the amended bill would require almost 28,000 valid signatures, due in July 2014.
Also, the bill, as amended, sets a 2% vote test for the office at the top of the ticket, which would need to be met every four years.
All eight Republicans on the Committee voted for the amended bill; the five Democrats, who favor requiring 5,000 signatures, voted against the bill. Thanks to Bob Bridges for this news. The House will vote on the amended bill in a few hours. UPDATE: here is a news story about the amendments to the bill. UPDATE: here is another story.
On October 29, the Public Religion Research Institute released a study about libertarians in the U.S., and the extent to which they are not the same as Tea Party supporters. See full information about the study here.
This article in The Gazette of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, summarizes some of the interesting points from the survey.
The Ohio House Committee on Policy and Legislative Oversight will hear SB 193, the ballot access bill, on October 30, Wednesday, at 8:30 a.m., in room 115 of the Capitol. The bill had been scheduled for a hearing on October 29. Thanks to Bob Bridges for this news.
The bill, as passed by the Senate, would have the effect of removing the Constitution, Green, Libertarian, and Socialist Parties from the 2014 ballot.
Ballot Access News
October 1, 2013 – Volume 29, Number 5
| This issue was printed on white paper. |
Table of Contents
