WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

Solving The Confusion on the Ohio Primary Ballot

Monday in The Blower’s “Still More Establishment Bashing Because They Really, Really Deserve It” E-dition, The Blower discovered where iVoters.com, a self-proclaimed “non-partisan, independent” website, had posted a video in which they showcase a “glaring problem” with the Ohio Republican primary ballot. (While the DemocRAT ballot is simple and easy to understand, the Republican ballot is dangerously confusing.)

John Kraemer, one of The Blower’s Persons of Consequence, fired off an e-mail to the Hamilton County Board of Elections that said: 

I am a resident of Hamilton County, I have a copy of the Official Republican Ballot in hand.

I have a few questions about your primary voting ballot.

Why do you have people on the Ballot that have dropped out?  I can only assume to generate more Confusion!

Why do you have 2 separate delegate columns, very confusing too say the least, guess you want it that way also!!

For  Delegates – at – Large and Alternates – at Large to the National Convention (Vote for not more than 1.)

Compared too.

For  District Delegates and District Alternates to the National Convention First District (Vote for not more than 1.)

What is the difference between a Delegate and a District Delegate?

The Presidential Candidates are not Delegates!

Back to the Ballot, trust you will clarify my questions before the 15th of March!

So if I vote for the same person in both columns, do they cancel each other out?

What if I vote for separate people, do they cancel each other out?

What if I only vote for Delegates – at – Large and Alternates to the National Convention, is that Vote not Counted?

What if I only vote for District Delegates and District Alternates to the National Convention, is that Vote not Counted?

Confused Voter looking for answers,

John Kraemer

Responding promptly was our Good Friend Sherry Poland, Director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections

Good evening Mr. Kraemer,

Ohio law requires candidates who wish to withdraw their name from the ballot, to file notice on or before the 70th day prior to Election Day.

This allows board of elections time to finalize and print the ballots for overseas military and civilian voters,

whose ballot must be mailed 45 days prior to Election Day. The candidates who appear on the ballot did not file a notice by that deadline.

Voters are not nominating a person for president.  We are voting to elect delegates that have pledged to vote for a particular candidate for president at the convention.

Traditionally, Ohio Republicans have awarded both at-large delegates and district (congressional) delegates to the convention.  That is why two contests appear on the ballot.  In 2015, however,

the Ohio Republican Party changed how it awards delegates in Ohio to a winner takes all process.  The Ohio Republican Party chairman has clarified that the awarding of delegates will be based on the winner of the at-large delegate contest.

Both contests will be counted by the BOE,  but the awarding of delegates is based solely on the first question to appear on the ballot (delegates-at-Large and Alternates-at-Large to the National Convention).

I hope this helps to clarify the Ohio Republican Primary process.

Please feel free to call me directly if you have any further questions. 

Sherry L. Poland

Director

Whistleblower Translation: Vote for the Republican Candidate of your choice in the (delegates-at-Large and Alternates-at-Large to the National Convention)  and it will be properly counted.

Now we hope all those smelly old people at your polling place will have read The Blower so they’ll know what to tell confused voters on March 15.