Month: May 2022

FCLP Committee Updates

During the 5/17/2022 business meeting for the Franklin County Libertarian Party of Ohio Central Committee the following actions were taken.

The following individuals were elected to the following roles:

Central Committee

  • Chair – Michael Sweeney
  • Vice-Chair – John Stewart
  • Treasurer – Chris Gill 
  • Secretary – Ken Holpp

Executive Committee

  • Chair – Michael Sweeney
  • Vice-Chair – Drake Lundstrom
  • Treasurer – Pat Hoffman
  • Secretary – Ken Holpp
  • At Large – Jordan Bertke
  • At Large – John Stewart
  • At Large – Chris Gill

After the elections we discussed and voted on the following changes to the FCLPO By-Laws:

Bylaw D – Central Committee, Section 2.

In the event the Secretary of State denies ballot access as a recognized party, Central Committee shall dissolve at the end of their term. After dissolution a new Executive Committee will be chosen by direct election and assume the duties of this committee not already conferred.

FCLP Bylaws. https://www.fclpo.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/FranklinCountyBylaws_rev2022.pdf

These changes were adopted by unanimous vote and should be considered applied to the current Central and Executive Committee. 

Thanks to everyone for your patience and generous assistance.

—

Michael Sweeney

Chair, Franklin County Libertarians

2022 FCLP Central Committee Election Closed

The following individuals have been elected to the Franklin County Libertarian Party of Ohio Central Committee.

  • John S. Stewart – Gahanna Ward 04
  • Patrick J Hoffman – Madison Township
  • Kenneth D. Holpp – Worthington Ward 01
  • Michael Sweeney – Gahanna Ward 03
  • Jordan T Bertke – Hilliard Ward 04
  • David Nadolny – Worthington Ward 02

The meeting of the full committee, election for Central Committee officers and Executive Committee officers, will occur  at the next regular county party business meeting on May 17th, 2022.

Help get the Libertarian Party back on the ballot!

We need your help to get the Libertarian Party regain ballot access in Ohio. This article helps explain what ballot access is, why it is important to us, and why the Libertarian Party of Ohio does not currently have it. To volunteer, check the “Circulate Petitions” or “Validate Petitions” box on the Volunteer form.

What is “ballot access”?

“Ballot access” is the right to put a political party label under a candidate’s name on the ballot. Having ballot access also enables a party to hold a primary. Under Ohio law (ORC 3501.38, amended in 2013 by Senate Bill 193), a political party must get 3% of the vote for Governor or 3% of the vote for President to gain ballot access for four years. The party must again get 3% of the vote for President or Governor to renew its access for another four years. Supporters of SB 193 designed and timed this bill to prevent the Libertarian Party of Ohio (LPO) from appearing on the ballot in 2014. To correct this injustice, the LPO filed several lawsuits. The federal district court in the first case,  Libertarian Party of Ohio v. Husted, ordered the Secretary of State to keep the LPO on the ballot in 2014 (Court documents).  This case went to the Supreme Court of the United States, which decided to let stand a federal appeals court ruling against the LPO. A suit filed in the state court system in 2015 challenged the constitutionality of SB 193 on the basis of Article V, Section 7 of the Ohio Constitution.

Why the Party needs to circulate petitions now

The law requires us to circulate petitions containing more than 55,000 valid signatures (with at least 500 each from eight of Ohio’s 16 Congressional Districts), and file them by August 2023 to allow our candidates to show the Libertarian label on the ballot. Because petition gathering usually results in a large number of invalid signatures, the state party will attempt to gather at least 110,000 signatures statewide.  The Libertarian Party of Ohio office will be open throughout this year to receive and validate signatures using a method proven successful in our effort to get our 2020 Presidential candidate Gary Johnson on the Ohio ballot as a Libertarian. Volunteers are validating the signatures in a process so laborious that — to do the process correctly — it would take a full-time employee over a year and a half to validate the petitions.

Get involved today!

  • LPO submitted 102k signatures to regain ballot access in 2018.

2022 1st Ohio Primary Election Instructions

TOMORROW, MAY 3RD is the first Ohio Primary Election for 2022.

tl;dr If you are a Libertarian in Ohio, be certain to pull an “issues only” ballot for the Ohio Primary Election.


If you intend to join or remain a member of the Libertarian Party of Ohio, and also intend to vote in the Ohio Primary, you must remember to request an “issues only” ballot from your poll workers.Be sure to verify that you were issued an “issues only” ballot and do not have primary candidates for the Republican or Democratic parties.If you do participate in either major party primary you will not be eligible for elected, and in some cases appointed, roles in the state and county Libertarian Parties in Ohio.Be kind and considerate, most poll workers are volunteers and received an hour of rushed training.