The Secretary of State's Office has rejected the Libertarian Party of
Ohio's petition to get candidates on the ballot for the 2004 election.
They are throwing us off the ballot after we turned in over 57,000
signatures and spent $50,000!
We poured our heart and soul into this ballot drive. People all
over the state circulated petitions and people all over the state
signed petitions saying they want the Libertarian Party on the
ballot in Ohio.
BUT Secretary of State Ken Blackwell arbitrarily ruled them invalid
due to a petition language technicality.
Libertarian, Green, Reform, Natural Law, etc. parties deserve
the same right to run for office and vote for their candidates as
Republicans and Democrats have.
But apparently Blackwell doesn't think so. The 57,000 who signed
our petitions have no voice, according to him.
And the plot thickens...in a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch
columnist Steve Stephens called Blackwell, "The politician who might
benefit the most from no Libertarians on the ballot."
Coincidence?
Regardless of Blackwell's motives, Ohio is the only state in the top
nine (with 15 or more electoral votes) that has NO third parties on
the ballot.
We are entering into a legal battle with the Secretary of State's Office
to change that. We completed the process -- we jumped through
their hoops -- now we want our right to run candidates, too.
Ballots are not just for Republicans and Democrats.
We have retained two well-respected and capable election law attorneys --
Gary Sinawski and Don McTigue -- to appeal this decision for us.
But attorneys aren't cheap and we need at least $8,000 to pay them.
If you are tired of Ohio being a two-party state, we need your help.
Please visit our web site and make your best donation so that we can
pay our attorneys and continue this fight.
www.lpo.org/Activism/DonateBallot.shtml
We are not just defending the rights of the Libertarian Party, but of
ALL THIRD PARTIES to participate in politics in Ohio!
Ballot access for third parties is tough in our state and we worked long and
hard to meet the Ohio's requirements. During the time we were
petitioning, the Secretary of State changed the language on the petition
forms.
We were not notified of the change and had no knowledge of it. When
we turned our forms in, we were told that they are invalid because of
the language change!
It's even more sinister than that...when some Republican candidates had
problems with their forms last year, Blackwell interpreted the law
more liberally
and cut them some slack, allowing them on the ballot.
But with Libertarians, he rules differently.
Allowing the Secretary of State to make arbitrary decisions like
this is just plain wrong.
Think about it: Blackwell's petition language ploy means that he could
conceivably change one of his government forms at any time resulting in no
third parties EVER getting on the ballot in Ohio!
Maybe that is what HE wants, but we know you don't agree. Open
elections are essential to freedom and we can't allow a government
bureaucrat to interfere with that process.
Please help us fight this ominous threat to liberty.
Give generously so that we can go to court to fight for your right to vote
for the candidate of the party of your choice.
Donate online at
www.lpo.org/Activism/DonateBallot.shtml
Or send your check to:
Libertarian Party of Ohio
700 Morse Road, Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43214
Thank you.
Dena L. Bruedigam, Vice Chair
Libertarian Party of Ohio
