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Some Presidential Candidates Didn’t Make it on the Ohio Ballot
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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Two of the Democrats running for president have not been certified to have their name listed on the March 17 Ohio primary ballot. One of the two has been certified to be a write-in candidate though.
11 Democratic presidential candidates have been certified to have their names appear on the ballot. Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Cory Cooker, Pete Buttigieg, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Deval Patrick, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren will be listed as Democratic candidates.
There was a problem with Andrew Yang’s petition filing so his name won’t be listed but he has been certified as a write-in candidate. “My campaign submitted nearly three times the amount of signatures needed, virtually ensuring I would be on the ballot in Ohio. Nevertheless, because of a bureaucratic paperwork issue caused by an awkwardly-worded law, nearly 3,000 Ohioans’ First Amendment rights have been denied. As a non-politician, it’s unfathomable that this could happen, but we’re not going to let democracy be thwarted and we are thrilled that we’ve made every other ballot with ease,” Yang said in a written statement.
Unlike Yang, Pepper doesn’t blame Ohio’s ballot access process.
“You have to follow some basic procedures but it’s not, well, let’s be honest. Almost every other presidential candidate succeeded in getting on the ballot. It means you get here early enough to organize and you get here early enough to do your homework and get it right,” Pepper said.
Pepper says Yang’s votes will be treated just like the other certified candidates as far as he is concerned.
“We’ve made clear we would recognize those write-in votes as the Secretary of State is recording and tabulating them,” Pepper said.
John Delaney also had problems with his petitions and will not be on the ballot. And Marianne Williamson didn’t file paperwork.
On the Republican side, Donald Trump’s petitions have been certified, but Bill Weld’s were not, so the president won’t face a GOP primary in Ohio.
The voter registration deadline is February 18 and early voting starts the next day.