SOCIALIST WINS INJUNCTION IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT IN OHIO TO OPEN PETITION PROCESS FOR ALL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SEEKING BALLOT ACCESS
Monday, 2 June 2008

Crucial Swing State Now Opened Up to More Third Party and Independent Presidential Candidates

Spring Hill, Florida: Socialist Party USA presidential nominee, Brian Moore, announced this evening that a motion for an injunction against the state of Ohio was granted today by the United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio, by Judge Gregory L. Frost, thereby enabling out-of-state petitioners, plus in-state unregistered residents, to be petition circulators for presidential candidates.

Socialist Party USA candidate Moore said the injunction not only "enables him to seek qualification on the state's ballot as an Independent candidate, by having access to more circulators, plus his own out-of-state party members and volunteers," but the ruling also states that it applies to "any other persons who circulate part-petitions on behalf of ANY candidate for President, in the State of Ohio."

Judge Frost's U.S. District Court office informed Moore's pro-bono attorney, Mark R. Brown, a law professor at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, of the unanimous affirmative decision at 4 PM EST today.

Attorney Brown indicated that this ruling was "supported by the U.S. Constitution," thus making the Ohio requirements unconstitutional. The ruling posted by the Clerk of Courts of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio blocks the state from enforcing its present laws prohibiting certain petitioning.

Moore added, The ruling also "puts into question, the precariousness of a swing state like Ohio," should more candidate choices be offered to the residents of Ohio.

The Socialist candidate accused the two major parties, both on a state level and nationally, of "obstructing alternate political parties and independent candidates from participating in the democratic process," and that "it took an unelected and non-partisan judiciary to bring fairness and equality to our political process." Moore added that this is just "one small example" of the undemocratic procedures faced by alternative parties "throughout the country." The candidate said It is a crime that there is "not a national uniform law for fairer ballot access and equal participation in public debates where the beneficiaries are the citizens of the country."

Brian Moore said this U.S. District Court ruling, for the Eastern Division of Ohio, "helps the Libertarian Party, the Constitution Party, the Green Party, all other alternative parties and even Independent candidates like Ralph Nader, to have a fairer opportunity in getting on the presidential ballot in Ohio." Moore said "this decision today, more importantly, helps the voter have more choices of candidates and increases voter turnout as well." "Democracy has been given a fairer shake today," said Moore, "but no thanks to our capitalist system that acts undemocratically when its power and profits are threatened."

Moore's Vice-President, Stewart Alexander, resides in California, and is campaigning in his home state to assist the Socialist Party ticket in winning the nomination of its sister-socialist Peace and Freedom Party of California. Prohibitive petitioning requirements in California is "another graphic example" where it is impossible for third parties to gain ballot access, stated the presidential candidate. New parties have to collect 100,000 signatures, and independent candidates are required to collect over 158,000 registered voter signatures on petitions in California.

Moore added that even piggybacking on a sister party, as in California, "involves complex delegate searches, additional primary elections, candidate money and geographic proximity -- which favor in-state candidates and puts an unfair burden on even sister-parties and candidates."

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