Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a measure to ensure President Joe Biden will appear on the state ballot in November. The measure relaxes a state candidate filing deadline and imposes a ban on foreign nationals contributing to state ballot campaigns. Both measures will take effect on August 31. The Republican-dominated Legislature had approved these measures during a special session, with the contribution ban broadening the definition of “foreign nationals” to include green card holders. The special session was called to address the deadline for making the November ballot falling on August 7, before the Democratic president is formally nominated.
The Senate and DeWine tied the issue of Biden’s appearance on the Ohio ballot to the foreign nationals prohibition. The Democratic National Committee, in coordination with the Biden campaign, announced plans to hold a virtual roll call vote to nominate him, neutralizing the need for any vote in Ohio. The Democratic National Committee has confirmed that the virtual roll call vote will proceed as planned. Democrats in the Ohio House have accused the Republican supermajorities of exploiting the Biden conundrum to pass an unrelated bill that undermines direct democracy in Ohio. Last year, voters in Ohio sided against GOP leaders’ positions on three separate ballot measures, including protecting abortion access, legalizing recreational marijuana, and making it harder to pass constitutional amendments.
Political committees involved in the above efforts received money from entities that had received donations from Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss over the past decade. However, any direct link from Wyss to the Ohio campaigns is untraceable due to campaign finance laws. The contribution ban measure may have an impact on ballot issue campaigns leading up to Ohio’s November 5 ballot, including proposals on redistricting law changes, raising the minimum wage, qualified immunity for police, and protecting certain voting rights. This measure is aimed at ensuring fairness and transparency in state ballot campaigns by preventing undue influence from foreign entities.
The provisions signed into law by Gov. DeWine will ensure that President Joe Biden’s name appears on the Ohio ballot in November, despite the tight deadline for candidate filing and the ban on foreign nationals contributing to state campaigns. The Democratic National Committee’s decision to hold a virtual roll call vote to nominate Biden has resolved the issue of his appearance on the ballot in Ohio. The measures passed during the special session have faced criticism from Democrats in Ohio House, who accused the Republican supermajorities of exploiting the situation to pass unrelated bills that undermine direct democracy in the state. The impact of the contribution ban measure on upcoming ballot issue campaigns remains to be seen.
The issue of foreign influence in state ballot campaigns has become a central focus in Ohio, with the Republican-dominated Legislature passing measures to prevent foreign nationals, including green card holders, from contributing to state campaigns. While some lawmakers expressed concerns about the constitutionality of the ban, others believe it is necessary to ensure the integrity of Ohio’s election process. The Democratic National Committee’s decision to hold a virtual roll call vote to nominate President Joe Biden has effectively resolved the issue of his appearance on the Ohio ballot. Moving forward, the impact of these measures on upcoming ballot issue campaigns in Ohio will continue to be monitored.
