It’s unlikely to happen, but voters could elect two different congressmen to fill John Boehner’s vacated seat in the March primary. That’s because Ohio Gov. John Kasich has chosen to conduct the primary for Boehner’s unfinished 6-month term and the two-year term on the same date. And since the Speaker of the House resigned in the middle of his term, voters must choose a replacement and someone to serve the next full term, which begins in 2017. That means any candidate running for both will appear on the March ballot twice. When asked about the date, Joshua Eck, press secretary for Ohio Secretary of State John Husted, could not think of any examples when this had been done before. Husted, Ohio’s chief elections officer, is responsible for setting the election calendar and deadlines for those elections.
This particular primary is important because Ohio’s eighth congressional district, which includes six counties in the region, is overwhelmingly Republican. “This is a very safe Republican seat,” said Dan Tokaji, an Ohio State University professor considered an authority on election law and voting rights. “A Republican will win the general election – and I say that without any doubts whatsoever.”
Tokaji acknowledged the circumstances surrounding the March primary are unusual, but said they are “not unheard of.”
When Barack Obama was elected president, officials called for a special election in Illinois to fill his senate seat. Voters saw the U.S. Senate race on their ballots twice. “I can’t say that I have any concerns,” Tokaji said. “You can’t just call an election and have it the next day. As far as I know, there is nothing unlawful about either the primary or the special election.”
Candidates for Boehner’s congressional seat didn’t seem to mind either.
Full Article: Boehner resignation leads to election oddity.