Low-polling Democratic presidential primary candidate Martin O’Malley failed to qualify for the Ohio primary ballot, as he was not able to meet the necessary 1,000 signatures to become eligible in the crucial swing state.
While the candidate did submit 1,175 signatures, only 772 were deemed valid, according to a statement provided by a spokesman for the Ohio secretary of state. Ohio officials verified that count before the Jan. 5 deadline for the March 15 primary.
While O’Malley did not qualify for Ohio, he has qualified for 18 other primary ballots thus far, including those in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Despite his lack of presence on the Ohio ballot, O’Malley will reportedly continue to campaign in the state.
The O’Malley campaign signalled trouble when they announced in November that they would now accept public funding. The former Maryland governor has remained in third place behind Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders for the duration of the race, and has consistently polled in the single digits. He currently polls at 4.7 percent, according to an average of polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.
