Two Libertarian Candidates Will Not Be On November Ballot

A federal judge has denied two disqualified Libertarian candidates access to Ohio's fall ballot. In his Friday ruling, Judge Michael Watson said the Libertarian Party of Ohio failed to prove Secretary of State Jon Husted's removal of gubernatorial candidate Charlie Earl and attorney general candidate Steven Linnabary was unconstitutional. He earlier said placing them on Nov. 4 ballots so late would result in voter "confusion and disarray." Watson said the party's arguments that a Republican underwrote the legal challenge to Libertarian petitions and that the state's hearing officer also had GOP ties could have been brought sooner. County elections officials told Watson re-printing ballots and reprogramming voting machines after early voting started would be expensive and cumbersome.