GOP Santorum's chance at 9 Ohio delegates hampered (AP)

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum won't have a chance to vie for some of Ohio's national convention delegates.

The state's top election official said Wednesday that the former Pennsylvania senator won't appear on the ballot at the district level in three congressional districts in the battleground state. That means nine of Ohio's 66 delegates are off the table for him.

Ohio has a Republican primary system that requires people to vote twice. So while Santorum's name won't appear at the district level, voters could still choose to award him at-large delegates.

The party doles out 48 delegates from the March 6 primary based on how well candidates do in each of Ohio's 16 congressional districts. The other 18 delegates are awarded at large.

Besides Santorum, candidates Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney were certified for Ohio's ballot.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120111/ap_on_el_pr/us_ohio_presidential_primary

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