Appeals court sides with Ohio secretary of state

[usregimechange]

CINCINNATI - A federal appeals court sided with Ohio's top elections official Friday in her running battle with Republicans over how to verify the eligibility of newly registered voters.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals set aside a federal judge's order a day earlier that Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner institute the means to verify voter registration information and make it available to Ohio's 88 county election boards.

Brunner argued that it would take two to three days to create the necessary computer programs, and that nothing in the Help America Vote Act required her to do what the lower court ordered. A three-judge panel of the appeals court agreed in a split decision.

"With less than a month until the election, and less than two weeks until the beginning of counting absentee ballots, the secretary cannot be required to undertake the extensive reprogramming and other changes to the election mechanics without complete disruption of the electoral process in Ohio," the majority said in its opinion. "The irreparable harm to the voting public caused by the district court's order is equally clear."

On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge George C. Smith in Columbus ordered Brunner to verify new registrations by matching information on them against a database maintained by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles or the Social Security Administration. He also ordered her to establish a process by which the county boards can access the information generated by the checks.

More:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081011/ap_on_el_ge/ohio_early_voting_lawsuit_2

Rack another one up for the good guys.

[Eric J in MN]

1. Will the US Supreme Court jump in and say they have to purge voters...

...right before the election?

[usregimechange]

3. I doubt it

[thunder rising]

2. These guys can piss you off

[thunder rising]

5. Ohio is just sooooo fucked up. In FL it goes like this

A voter presents 1 or 2 pieces of ID to establish his/her signature (picture and a signature). The voter is ASKED his/her present address (which is on the books). If what the voter SAYS matches the register then the voter is asked to sign the register and given the ballot pass.

Specifically, it is NOT the job of the Supervisor of Elections to police drivers licenses and/or stale Social security cards. Their job is to make sure the EVERY voter gets to vote. (These are the words of my Sup of Elections)

[Berry Cool]

11. Actually, Ohio is not that fucked up. When I went to vote last Monday

and asked to change the address on my registration, my address was changed in the records and I got to vote, QED. I wasn't even asked to produce any ID. There was a place on the form where you had to either supply driver's license # or last four digits of SSN. That was it.

[elleng]

8. 'These guys'

who?

[Window]

4. Well alrighty then.

:kick:

[WillyT]

6. Woo Hoo !!! - K & R !!!

:woohoo:

:kick:

[TXDemGal]

7. Now THIS is rich...3rd to last 'graph

QUOTATION from the article:

"The orders stemmed from a lawsuit the Ohio Republican Party filed against {current Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer} Brunner, whom Chairman Bob Bennett called 'the most partisan secretary of state in Ohio history.'"

I guess Bob is forgetting Kenneth Blackwell, who was OH Sec'y. of State for the '04 election. Blackwell also was the co-chair of Dubya's reelection committee in Ohio. But hey, I guess that's not partisan. :shrug:

[grannylib]

9. They have to project their own sins onto others...it's just how these fuckers operate.

They are running the filthiest, most dishonest campaign in history, yet whine that's what Obama is doing. LIES.
McAnus votes against veterans and the troops, yet whines that's what Obama is doing. LIES.
McAnus, Palin, their surrogates and whores, all make the most personal and horrific attacks against Obama, and even Michelle, yet whine that's what Obama is doing. LIES.

They make me physically ill, these filthy assholes.

[quiet.american]

10. Jennifer Brunner is amazing. This is excellent news! nt