Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Ohio Libertarians Want Better Ballot Access
The Libertarian Party of Ohio is engaged in a lawsuit against Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner over ballot access. On July 14th, a federal judge will hear arguments in the case about signature requirements. At issue is whether Brunner can require small political parties to gather 20,000 signatures 100 days in advance of the state’s primary in order to get a presidential candidate placed on the ballot. Former Georgia congressman Bob Barr, one of the leading figures during the Clinton impeachment, is the Libertarian’s pick to be president and he could siphon off GOP votes that may prove to be the difference in the race between John McCain and Barack Obama. Brunner, a Democrat, has said her office tried to find a fair standard after an earlier requirement of 40,000 signatures 120 days before the primary was declared unconstitutional by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Here’s a link to the case information. We’ll have more on the court’s decision as we get closer.
