(Republican dominated OH)Supreme Court overturns Brunner

[mod mom]

Supreme Court overturns Brunner
Posted by joncraig at 10/2/2008 4:18 PM EDT
A unanimous Ohio Supreme Court today overruled Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, saying county Boards of Elections must accept absentee-ballot applications with boxes that weren't checked declaring the voter was a "qualified elector."

Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign mailed more than 1 million of the applications. More than 1,500 of the applications were rejected in Hamilton County, prompting a lawsuit by two local voters.

“I am pleased the Ohio Supreme Court has clarified the absentee ballot request laws of Ohio,'' Brunner said in a statement. "When several boards of elections requested my interpretation of the law, I advised them as to what the law appeared to require. Today’s ruling allows the Secretary of State and boards of elections the legal authority to rule on the side of voters rather than the strict, complex application rules passed by the legislature. I will gladly follow the high court’s decision.”

Charles M. Miller, a Cincinnati attorney who filed the lawsuit, said, "This decision will ensure that thousands of voters who properly applied for absentee ballots will receive them."

"I'm glad that other voters like me will get their absentee ballots,'' said Betty Smith, 77, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. "This is an important election and I want my vote to count."

Jon Seaton, regional campaign manager for McCain, called the decision a win for tens of thousands of voters "whose ballots were threatened as a result of Secretary of State Brunner's decision to add confusion to what should be an honest and open election process. These qualified voters are now assured that they will not be disenfranchised by Secretary Brunner's partisan attempt to keep John McCain's supporters from casting absentee ballots

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BTW...OHIO VOTER REGISTRATION IS OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 6TH SO NO VOTER WAS DISENFRANCHISED!