COLUMBUS, Ohio — Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein and her campaign have filed a federal lawsuit against Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, accusing him of election interference.
The controversy began when the Stein campaign was informed that an unauthorized individual had submitted paperwork to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, requesting the withdrawal of their vice-presidential candidate from the ballot. The filing occurred after the deadline for submitting a new vice-presidential candidate, raising concerns within the campaign.
According to an email sent to supporters, the person who submitted the withdrawal form admitted that the signature on the document was not original but copy-pasted. Furthermore, the individual acknowledged they were not affiliated with the Stein campaign. Despite these admissions, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office reportedly accepted the form and subsequently declared that votes for Dr. Stein would not count in Ohio.
In an attempt to address the situation, the Stein campaign says it submitted a notarized affidavit to the Secretary of State’s office, stating that the vice-presidential candidate had not authorized the withdrawal. However, the office reportedly rejected the affidavit, claiming it lacked the required “embossed” notarization. The campaign criticized the inconsistency, pointing out that the Secretary of State had accepted the original unauthorized withdrawal form with a copy-pasted signature but rejected a legitimate affidavit.
“We have filed a lawsuit to make the Ohio Secretary of State correct their error,” the Stein campaign stated in its message to supporters. “We are confident that we will win the lawsuit and that votes for Jill will be counted in Ohio.”
The Stein campaign argues that this issue is not isolated but part of a broader pattern of “shenanigans” in multiple states, which have placed a significant financial burden on the campaign. Nonetheless, they assert that the fight is essential to ensure that voters, including Ohio’s 8 million registered voters, have access to an “anti-genocide, pro-worker, climate action” candidate on the ballot this November.
The Ohio Secretary of State’s office has yet to release a statement regarding the lawsuit.
Supporters of Dr. Stein have described the situation as “blatant election interference,” calling for greater transparency and fairness as the election approaches.
Dr. Jill Stein is a physician and environmental health advocate, known for her leadership in advancing climate action and social justice through her work with the Green Party. As a two-time presidential candidate, she has championed policies centered on workers’ rights, renewable energy, and universal healthcare. Her commitment to grassroots democracy and environmental sustainability has earned her a strong following among progressive voters.