Ohio Democrats file suit against Blackwell

[liberalnurse]

As you all know, this Ohio republican Sec. of State, Kenneth Blackwell is trying to purge new registered Ohio voters. Here is an update on the crisis.

If this was already posted, I apologize as I have been very busy on the phone with State Legislators......


http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0928voting.html


Ohio Democrats took Republican Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell to court Monday, charging that he is trying to limit where some voters may cast their ballots in violation of the federal Help America Vote Act.

Blackwell, the state's top elections official, denied the allegations through his spokesman, Carlo LoParo.

In a related development, LoParo appeared to defuse a second voting controversy, this one involving Montgomery County and a requirement in state law that voter registration cards be printed on thick, 80-pound stock paper.

Secretary of state employees are not the "paper weight police," LoParo said. He said employees would not go to county boards of election to check the paper weight of voter registration forms arriving in the mail. At a news conference here to announce the lawsuit, state Democratic Party Chairman Denny White said Ohio has a "secretary of state now that's purposely trying to take your right away from your vote and my vote of being counted.

"That's what this is all about . . . . He's elected to see that people can vote, not to stop people from voting. That's what Blackwell is trying to do." The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Toledo by the Ohio and Sandusky County Democratic parties.

LoParo called White's charge "nonsense."

He said that 28 states have the same or more restrictive requirements on where so-called "provisional ballots" may be cast. Provisional ballots allow a voter whose eligibility is in question to cast a ballot that is kept separate from regular ballots until election officials can verify the voter's eligibility. The lawsuit focuses primarily on a Sept. 16 directive from Blackwell to county boards of election and what it said about voters who move from one precinct to another within the same county, but don't update their registration with the address change.

The directive said that under Ohio law, these voters may update the address change at their new precinct on Election Day and cast a provisional ballot at that precinct. The vote would be counted when election officials verify the registration. According to the directive, if the poll worker determines the voter's address is not in the precinct where he or she shows up to vote, the poll worker must call the elections board and get the location of the polling place for the correct precinct for the voter.

The directive also said that before a poll worker provides a provisional ballot, the worker must confirm that the voter's address is within the precinct.

The lawsuit alleges the federal Help America Vote Act requires that states permit voters to cast a provisional ballot upon "affirmation" the voter is registered in the proper jurisdiction – county – and is eligible to vote in the federal election, even if the voter resides in another precinct.

.....Read the entire article.....

We are in fighting mood here in Ohio!

[Gothmog]

1. Good Job

I am glad that we are not taking any chances here. Going to court was a good decision given the stakes.

[Melodybe]

2. Go Ohio go, if you get to vote, Ohio won't be a swing state again

Voter registration in Ohio democratic counties up 250%, only up 25% in repub areas.

In 2000 they balanced out now, dems are trappling the repigs.

YAY OHIO!

[henslee]

3. Yee-haah! Sleazy antics like this just energize the base! We bark n' bite!

[Catfight]

4. My goodness, the repugs will win at any cost. Let's not let them win!

It'll kill them when they lose.

[liberalnurse]

6. You don't know the half of it!

I've been given a speeding ticket on my home street! At 7AM and going to work... I was going down the street, residential, and about 10 houses down, I pass a cop....he was just sitting there....then at the stop sign I see these light going off....cop said I was going 30 in a 25 zone......He kept looking at all my bumper-stickers such as Democratic Underground, Kerry/Edwards and Code Pink, Women for Peace...

Please note that there is a yard sign war on my street. The cop was parked by a Bush/Cheney sign! I always look for who is a neighborhood repuke.......I have two well positioned Kerry/Edward signs in my yard...I was the first and many have followed.

Also, I'm going to an Edwards town-hall meeting. I was instructed by Head Quarters to cover-up my stickers or use another vehicle as the repugs are having known Democrats cars towed!

[Kukesa]

8. This sucks, LN. What can we do? n/t

[Kukesa]

9. Cars being towed?

This happened during the first K-E event in Dayton, in July. Seven cars with K-E stickers were towed from the lot at General Surplus; nine cars with B-C stickers were left in the lot.

Sound kinda suspicious?

[blue neen]

5. The Repugs truly will try anything in their sick need to win at all costs.

I'm glad Ohio Dems are not taking their crap.

Thanks for the work you have done on this!

[liberalnurse]

7. I'm originally from the Pittsburgh area

thats where I get my fighting spirit.

[spotbird]

10. The suit is unrelated to the paper weight issue.

It is regarding another important issue.