Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Ohio House Concurs with Elections/Presidential Primary Bill, Passes on to Governor

Ann Sanner of the Associated Press is reporting that the Ohio state House has voted to concur with the Senate changes to HB 194. The elections legislation would shift the presidential primary in the Buckeye state from the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May. The Ohio Senate last week passed the bill with only minor changes after it had passed its own elections bill (that among other things did not include the provision moving the presidential primary). That Senate bill stalled in the House as the the Senate considered and passed the House version. Last week's Senate changes forced today's vote -- 59-40 in favor -- in the House.

HB 194 now moves on to Governor John Kasish (R) for his signature or veto. Assuming a signature, the Ohio presidential primary would coincide with primaries in neighboring Indiana and West Virginia, setting up a subregional primary just a week after the proposed northeast/mid-Atlantic primary (Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island).


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