The Ohio Senate has again moved legislation eliminating primary elections if races are not contested. SB 10 passed on a vote of 32-0 and heads to the Ohio House for further consideration. The bill would require that uncontested primary races not appear on ballots; candidates who filed for such races would automatically receive their party’s nomination.
Likewise, special primaries for open congressional seats would not take place if only one candidate qualifies to run. The bill includes additional language for handling races in which candidates die, withdraw or are disqualified.
Sen. Frank LaRose (R-Hudson) proposed the law changes following a primary in southwestern Ohio to replace Republican U.S. House Speaker John Boehner. There was only one Democrat on the ballot for that special election, and fewer than 2,000 people voted.
Full Article: Ohio Senate considers eliminating primaries for uncontested races.