An Ohio judge allows 17-year-olds who will be 18 before the November General Election to vote in Tuesday’s primary, with some limits. For instance, 17 year olds cannot vote on ballot issues, but can decide on presidential, congressional, legislative and mayoral contenders – as has been the law since 1981. Husted loses another lawsuit and continues to waste Ohio taxpayers money on attempts to suppress vote.

16-2346 Judgment Mandamus Mar 16
Directive 2016-08 – Issued Pursuant to Court Order (17 Year Old Voters)
17-Year-Old Voter Instructions

Ohio allows 17-year-olds who will be 18 before the fall election to vote in Tuesday’s primary, with some limits. For instance, they can’t vote on ballot issues, but can decide on congressional, legislative and mayoral contenders.

Whether the teens can vote in the presidential primary race had been under dispute.

The state’s Republican elections chief had said Ohio rules don’t permit it. He says the 17-year-olds can only nominate candidates, and not “elect” delegates to a presidential nominating convention.

Nine teen voters had sued over Secretary of State Jon Husted’s interpretation.

On Friday, a Franklin County judge granted the teens’ request to block Husted’s instructions that forbid the 17-year-olds from voting in the presidential primary.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted released the following statement regarding today’s ruling in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas decision to overrule state law and reverse decades of election law precedent by allowing 17-year-olds to cast ballots in Ohio’s 2016 Presidential Primary Election:

“This last minute legislating from the bench on election law has to stop. Our system cannot give one county court the power to change 30 years of election law for the entire state of Ohio, 23 days into early voting and only four days before an election.”

Husted also said he planned to appeal the ruling. but later Friday evening, Husted released another statement, saying he would not appeal.

Ohio’s elections chief now says he won’t appeal a judge’s ruling that allows 17-year-olds to vote in the swing state’s presidential primary. The move from Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted comes after a state appeals court had set a Monday hearing in the case ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Husted spokesman Josh Eck tells The Associated Press that does not leave enough time for officials to properly administer the election for the 17-year-old voters. He says, for the sake of good elections, the secretary of state won’t appeal the ruling.

The Ohio Democratic Party released the following statement today in response to the ruling against Secretary of State Jon Husted by Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Frye allowing registered voters who will be 18 before the general election to vote for their chosen presidential candidate:

“We were confident that Secretary Husted’s directive barring young Ohioans from voting for their chosen presidential candidate would not hold up in court, but it’s still a shame it came to this,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper.

“We urge Husted and Attorney General Mike DeWine not to appeal this ruling. Young Ohioans deserve to have a say in whom they want to lead our country. The Ohio Democratic Party will continue to support greater voter participation — regardless of party. We’ve never solved a problem with less democracy.”