From
www.lpo.org (http://www.lpo.org)
Libertarian Options in the March 15 Ohio Primary
Ohio's Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, March 15. On that day, voters may request a ballot for the political party of their choice, or they may choose an "issues-only" ballot, which allows them to vote on ballot issues, but not for any candidates of any party.
There's one catch—the Libertarian Party has been banned from participating in the 2016 primary by the "John Kasich Re-election Protection Act," otherwise known as Senate Bill 193.
Because the Ohio Constitution guarantees the right of political parties to hold primary elections, we are contesting this in court. However, SB 193 is currently being enforced, which means you will not be allowed to request a Libertarian ballot.
This has important implications for Ohioans who consider themselves Libertarians, and who wish to retain the right to participate fully in Libertarian Party operations.
Under Ohio election law, your official party affiliation is determined SOLELY by what party ballot you chose in the last partisan primary.
In other words, if you choose a Republican, Democrat, or Green party ballot on March 15, you are legally locked in as a member of that party for the next two years—no matter what. This means that you would be legally barred from holding any official leadership position in the Libertarian Party of Ohio, or in any of its county affiliates until the next primary election.
Any Ohioan may participate as a volunteer with the LPO, identify as a Libertarian, or be a member of the national Libertarian Party, but our bylaws, our constitution, and our offical actions must align with Ohio law, which says that a member of one party may not be an officer in another.
Any current LPO official who votes in another party's primary on March 15 is no longer legally eligible to hold any LPO office, including one they may currently occupy.
Because of all this, we strongly urge everyone who is now, or wishes to become, a Libertarian, to ask for an "issues only" ballot should you choose to vote. When you do so, you will become an "unaffiliated" voter by state law, and will maintain eligibility to be an LPO officer.