Gary Johnson will make Ohio ballot
Libertarian to be listed as independent.
Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson will make the ballot in Ohio, but he will be listed as an independent, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced Wednesday.
Charles Earl who made the ballot earlier this month will be replaced by Johnson at his request.
The Libertarian Party has not done well enough in recent Ohio elections to be identified on the ballot. The Green Party is labeled on the ballot and Jill Stein is the nominee for that party.
Libertarians aren’t recognized as a political party in Ohio, so party activists sought to collect enough signatures from voters to get Johnson on the ballot by way of a process for independent candidates. They initially submitted paperwork and signatures on behalf of Earl, with the intention of replacing his name with Johnson’s.
Husted had said he would allow the switch, as long as elections officials validated enough voter signatures. His office announced Wednesday Johnson’s backers met the signature requirements.
Johnson’s candidacy could still be disputed. Friday is the deadline for written protests to be filed with Husted.
Ohio Libertarians say its presidential tickets have used the candidateswap practice in the past, most recently in 2004.
The major party candidates Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton are also on the Ohio ballot as is independent Richard Duncan.
Independents Michael Steinberg and Darrell Castle filed to run for president in Ohio but were not certified.