Columbus Dispatch...
Double trouble
Two primaries would add cost, create confusion in Ohio  
October 26, 2011 

For Ohio to hold two primary elections in 2012 is just asking for problems and throwing away money that the state and county governments can’t spare. 

Last week, the legislature hastily drew up a plan for two primaries because the recently adopted map of Ohio congressional districts is in limbo. 

Either it will be the subject of a ballot referendum threatened by Ohio Democrats, or the parties will come to some sort of agreement on new district lines. But because no one knows how soon the matter will be settled, it makes sense to push Ohio’s primary to a later date 

So, the General Assembly passed and the governor has signed legislation that sets the 2012 presidential and U.S. House primary for June 12. But for no apparent good reason, lawmakers still want to hold a primary election in March for U.S. senator, all state and local candidates and issues. 

Thus, two primaries. 

This is needless complication and expense. 

Aaron Ockerman, executive director of the Ohio Association of Elections Officials, expressed the completely valid concern that two primaries will cause voter confusion. People will be in for a surprise if they show up in March believing they’ll be voting on the GOP nominee for the White House. They might intend to vote again in June, but there’s a chance they’ll forget or grow apathetic in the meantime. 

Two primaries mean massive complications for boards of election, too. 

Some poll workers they train for the March election might not be available to work in June, necessitating training a new crew. Two sets of absentee ballots will have to be printed and sent out. After the March election, counties will be completing their official vote count and then recounts in races when the vote is too close to call. But they also will have to be preparing for the second primary. 

Counties would be forced to front the money for an extra election. Franklin County officials estimate that an extra election will cost around $1 million. 

Under the legislation, counties will be reimbursed by the state — eventually. Until they get that money back, many counties would face some financial hardship. 

This ridiculous two-primary plan is the result of a game of partisan one-upsmanship being played by the state’s Democratic and Republican parties. It risks putting Ohio’s election system once again in an unflattering national spotlight. And the big losers will be the voters and taxpayers of Ohio. 

The two parties ought to find a compromise on the new congressional-district map that allows Ohio’s congressional elections to proceed without interruption. But if that isn’t possible, at the very least, the legislature should junk the two-primary plan and replace it with a single, later primary. 

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