A proposal to allow judges to publicize a party affiliation in the general election is getting bipartisan support in the Statehouse from two Northeast Ohio lawmakers.
State Rep. Stephen Hambley (R-Brunswick) State Rep. Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood) are co-sponsoring a bill to allow judges to declare party affiliation.
Hambley says it will give voters what they need to make an informed decision.
Ohio law currently prohibits judges from identifying their party -- on the ballot. Candidates are allowed to affiliate with a political party in campaign literature and advertisements.
A 2014 study by the University of Akron’s Bliss Institute of Applied Politics found that about 60% of registered voters don’t even choose judicial candidates since there’s no party listed.
