Kevin J. Knedler
State Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Ohio Executive Committee

Ohio Secretary of State, Jon Husted (R) has issued a directive which formally places all minor parties on the 2012 Ohio Primary(s) and November ballot!  This includes the new party called, America Selects. In essence, we once again have NO LAW in Ohio that sets standards for a new minor party getting on the ballot with a petitioning process. The recent Federal Court rulings struck down the petitioning requirements from the Ohio Assembly. We are now in a similiar situation as the period of 2007 through 2010. This is ALL ON the Ohio Assembly, who puts party and "turf" ahead of the first amendment freedoms of the citizens of Ohio.

Read the directive HERE

Candidates, please carry a copy of this with you when petitioning AND when going into a BOE. Remember the deadline is December 7, 2011 for your candidate petitions. Now you can also run with the LIBERTARIAN BRAND NAME for 2012.
For the public office candidates you can get LP members (via Ohio primary of 2010) or non-affiliated Ohio citizens to sign your petitions. Make sure you have one petition PER county!

As for the LP State Central Committee . . .
Deadline for petition filing is December 7, 2011
Primary for Ohio State Central Committees will be in March of 2012-- at least for now.
Use Form 2K for State Central Committees
As to the US Congress Districts, we know we can't use the old Districts (there were 18). So use the new Districts (there are 16), even though the redistricing map will be heading to a Federal Court as the R's and D's fight over turf, aka gerrymandering.
Try to get LP Party members to sign the petitions for you State Central Committe run, but we believe that non-affiliated will also be allowed-- working on that.
There is a date of the primary on the front of the petition. Write in what you know today. The Ohio SOS has already addressed this and will be flexible if the Ohio Assembly once again changes the dates of the 2012 Ohio Primaries.

OK team, let's go do this !
Good luck !