Yang to launch write-in campaign for Ohio primary

[brooklynite]

The Hill

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang will launch a write-in campaign to appear on the Ohio presidential primary ballot after an issue with his application prevented it from being approved.

Yang's campaign told The Hill that it is launching the effort after its application to appear on the primary ballot on March 17 was denied due to a bureaucratic issue, despite it delivering the necessary signatures needed.

“My campaign submitted nearly three times the amount of signatures needed, virtually ensuring I would be on the ballot in Ohio," Yang said in a statement to The Hill. "Nevertheless, because of a bureaucratic paperwork issue caused by an awkwardly-worded law, nearly 3,000 Ohioans’ First Amendment rights have been denied.

“Despite this setback, Ohioans will have an opportunity to cast their ballot for me in the democratic presidential primary as I'm officially announcing a write-in campaign in Ohio, aided by our incredible grassroots support, 400,000 donors across the country, and the fact that I have such an easily-spelled last name," he added.

[Recursion]

1. *snort* at the end there

I love his sense of humor

[brooklynite]

2. In 1980, John Anderson ran as a write-in candidate for the PA Republican Primary...

It didn't work.

[Recursion]

4. OTOH Lisa Murkowski won her Senate seat in a write-in campaign (nt)

[redqueen]

3. I wonder what went wrong - wish we'd get some specifics.

One thing I love about this campaign is seeing so many people who previously were completely disengaged with politics getting a crash course in bureaucracy.

[Recursion]

6. The name "Andrew Yang" was not physically present on most of the signature sheets

Which was apparently a printing error. It was pasted on, but that does not meet Ohio standards. And honestly I get that. But it's a damn shame. Still, I love that he keeps his since of humor ("thanks to my easily-spelled last name&quot .

[Gothmog]

5. Write-in campaigns rarely work

It sounds like Yang did not read the Ohio ballot access law. I reviewed the Marc Elias memorandum for the Clinton Victory Counsel program. Normal campaigns have lawyers who are familiar with the ballot access laws of each state

[NYMinute]

7. Yang who? nt

[Gothmog]

8. I found out part of the story on Prof. Hasen's election law blog

Prof. Hasen linked to this article on how Yang screw up https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/01/paperwork-problem-blocks-andrew-yang-from-ohios-democratic-presidential-primary-ballot-campaign-to-launch-write-in-effort.html

Had Yang not withdrawn the paperwork, which includes signatures from registered Ohio voters, it likely would have been rejected. His campaign failed to include a section of the candidacy paperwork that signifies which candidate voters are providing their signatures for, according to state officials.

“As secretary of state, I’m duty-bound to follow the law, and the law is clear -- when Ohioans sign a petition, they deserve to know what they’re signing,” Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, said in a statement. “This is why petition forms must be submitted, complete with a statement from the candidate stating their intention to run. By their own admission, the Yang campaign failed to do that.

”I sincerely sympathize with those who hoped to support his candidacy in the Ohio primary -- it’s truly unfortunate that the Yang campaign has let them down," said LaRose, Ohio’s top elections official.

LaRose added that many other candidates, including presidential candidates, have successfully completed the paperwork requirements since it became law decades ago.

In an email to cleveland.com, Yang’s campaign shared comments he also made to The Hill in a story published Friday and said it would launch a write-in campaign.

Most campaigns have lawyers who review the ballot access rules for each state.

[redqueen]

9. Too bad OH isn't as flexible as DC was last time!

DC bends rules to allow Bernie Sanders on the primary ballot - Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-bends-rules-to-allow-bernie-sanders-on-the-primary-ballot/2016/04/05