Oregon State Senator Rick Metsger (D-Mt. Hood) has introduced SB 353, to cut the number of signatures for an independent candidate from 1% of the last presidential vote, to one-half of 1% of that same base. If the bill were enacted, approximately 10,000 signatures would be needed for a statewide independent candidate, instead of the approximately 20,000 now required.
New York City is holding a special election to fill the vacant City Council seat in the 32nd district in Brooklyn. The election is February 24. At a debate among the four candidates held on February 19, the audience expressed hostility toward one of the candidates, Professor Geraldine Chapey, because she had successfully challenged the ballot access petitions of one of her opponents, Frank Gulluscio. See this article.
Ironically, a few days later, the candidate who had successfully challenged one of her oppponents off the ballot, also succeeded in knocking another of her opponents off the ballot. See this story. Glenn DiResto was removed from the ballot because his partisan label, “Families First”, was deemed too similar to “Working Families”, and in special elections, candidates cannot use the name of a qualified party as a ballot label.
On February 19, the Franklin County, Ohio, Board of Elections determined that two incumbent members of the Columbus School Board are off the November 2009 ballot because they failed to get at least 300 valid signatures. Although Ohio permits write-ins, another law says that someone who submitted a petition to be on the ballot, and whose petition was deficient, may not qualify as a declared write-in candidate. See this story. Thanks to Steve Linnabary for the link.
On February 19, the Franklin County, Ohio, Board of Elections determined that two incumbent members of the Columbus School Board are off the November 2009 ballot because they failed to get at least 300 valid signatures. Although Ohio permits write-ins, another law says that someone who submitted a petition to be on the ballot, and whose petition was deficient, may not qualify as a declared write-in candidate. See this story. Thanks to Steve Linnabary for the link.
The Ohio Secretary of State has just promulgated a ruling that all the parties that appeared on the Ohio ballot in 2008 are also deemed to be ballot-qualified in 2009. The only regularly-scheduled partisan elections in Ohio in 2009 are in the handful of cities that use partisan elections and which vote in 2009. However, there could also be special elections for U.S. House or state legislature during 2009, if any seats become vacant.
The Libertarian Party expects to nominate Angela Williams for the (partisan) city council election in 2009 in Marion, Ohio.
The parties that were ballot-qualified in 2008 in Ohio (other than the Democrats and Republicans, of course) were all put on by court order. They are Libertarian, Green, Constitution and Socialist.
There is still no bill in the Ohio legislature to replace the old law governing party qualification, and if no such bill passes in 2009, then it is likely the Secretary of State will extend her ruling for the 2010 election. However, the Ohio legislature meets all year long, so it is likely the legislature will pass something in 2009.
