Judge Blocks Minor Party Rules From Affecting 2014 Ballot

The dynamic of the 2014 gubernatorial race is changing. A judge has blocked enforcement of a law that made it harder for minor party candidates to get on the ballot. Minor party members are celebrating a major victory in Ohio. The latest decision by a federal judge makes it easier for third party candidates to appear on November’s ballot. The judge temporarily stopped a law from taking effect. This law, supported by Republicans and signed by Gov. John Kasich, created more rules and hoops for minor parties to jump through in order to get on the ballot. The judge ruled that the laws should not be enforced retroactively and shouldn’t affect access to the 2014 primary or general election. This was good news for Charlie Earl, who’s running for governor with the Libertarian Party. While he noted that the Democrats supported the challenge of these laws, Earl says both major parties are obsessed with power. Earl says Republicans were out of line when they created the bill. “Their lust for power and their arrogance epitomized by this bill," Earl says. "They overreached. I mean any reasonable person would read this bill and how it was structured and would say ‘my goodness, you know some of that makes sense but this is just going too far.’â€? Earl says the laws stunted his fundraising effort, but with the judge’s injunction, things should be picking up.