SIGN THE PETITION FOR INCLUSIVE POLITICAL DEBATES IN OHIO -

YOU NEED NOT BE FROM OHIO TO SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT POLITICAL PRINCIPLE.

(AS OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE, JENNFIER BRUNNER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING ELECTIONS)

Once again, as in many elections in recent years, the Republican and Democratic parties, together with the corporate news media, are arranging candidate debates that exclude all but those two parties. Here in Ohio, the Republican candidate for Senate Rob Portman and his Democratic opponent Lee Fisher are currently discussing a debate which would apparently bar from participation both Dan La Botz, the Socialist Party candidate, and Eric Deaton, the Constitution Party candidate. Such exclusive debates keep information from the public and distort the political process. 

We the undersigned, believing that an informed public and educated electorate are essential to good government, and believing that all candidates from all parties should have equal opportunity to face each other in public forums and to debate the issues before the public, therefore petition Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (the Ohio offficial responsible for overseeing elections) to insure that all of the candidates in the Ohio Senate race as well as other national, state and local races have an equal opportunity to participate in debates before the public. We call upon all candidates in Ohio and the sponsors of all debates and candidate forums to ensure that representatives of all legally registered parties are invited and included.