The Secretary of State's Office has rejected the Libertarian Party of Ohio's petition to get candidates on the ballot for the 2004 election, although over 57,000 signatures were turned in and the Party spent $50,000. People all over the state circulated petitions and people all over the state signed petitions saying they want the Libertarian Party on the ballot in Ohio.

Secretary of State Ken Blackwell arbitrarily ruled the pettions invalid due to a petition language technicality.

Libertarian, Green, Reform, Natural Law, etc.  parties deserve the same right to run for office and vote for their candidates as Republicans and Democrats have. But apparently Blackwell doesn't think so. The 57,000 who signed our petitions have no voice, according to him.

And the plot thickens...in a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch columnist Steve Stephens called Blackwell, "The politician who might benefit the most from no Libertarians on the ballot." Regardless of Blackwell's motives, Ohio is the only state in the top nine (with 15 or more electoral votes) that has NO third parties on the ballot.

The Libertarian Party is entering into a legal battle with the Secretary of State's Office to change that and have retained two well-respected and capable election law attorneys -- Gary Sinawski and Don McTigue --  to appeal this decision. But attorneys aren't cheap and we need at least $8,000 to pay them.

The Libertarian Party is requesting help in donations so that they can pay the attorneys and continue this fight. www.lpo.org/Donate/BallotLawSuit.shtml.

Dena L. Bruedigam, Vice Chair
Libertarian Party of Ohio