COLUMBUS, Ohio – Libertarians, Tea Party supporters and members of other small political organizations are calling a law signed last night by Gov. John Kasich unfair and some are vowing to sue.
The law sets rules for minor political parties to be recognized on future ballots in the all-important swing state.
Kasich signed the measure yesterday after it cleared the Ohio House and Senate.
“The Republican controlled legislature essentially admitted that they were only changing the rules at this time because they wanted to stop third parties from taking votes away from Governor Kasich and themselves in 2014. They wanted to rig the elections for their own personal benefit and they did,” Tom Zawistowski, president of the Ohio Citizens PAC and head of the Portage County Tea Party.
Groups wanting to form parties next year would need petition signatures equal to a half-percent of the total votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial or presidential election. Thereafter, they must gather 1 percent. So-called “minor political parties” would have to collect 28,000 signatures to get on the ballot in 2014.
To remain qualified, organizations must get 2 percent of total votes cast in the governor’s race next year, and 3 percent in 2015 for the following gubernatorial or presidential elections.
Leaders of the Libertarian Party and other parties say they’ll file a lawsuit to block the law, saying it allows little time to collect the needed signatures.
The measure was poised to clear the Legislature last week, but senators rejected it after House-made changes inadvertently cut a piece of the bill. A committee restored that piece Wednesday and made other changes.