Early Voting Reinstated

 

Yesterday, US District Court Judge Peter C. Economus ruled to reinstate the early voting deadline to Monday, November 5 in Ohio in the case Obama for America v. Jon Husted. Earlier this year, the last three days of early voting prior to the election were eliminated, except for those serving in the military and residing abroad, in an effort defended by Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted.

 

Republican Govenor John Kaisich signed legislation over the past two years to restrict early in person voting during the three days before the election to only those serving in the military or residing abroad and eliminating weekend early voting hours. Obama for America argued that the restrictions negatively effected the Democratic Party. Husted argued that by eliminating the three days of early voting, the state could crack down on voter fraud, eliminate burdens placed on county election boards, and make early voting uniform across all 88 counties in Ohio. Democrats estimate that 93,000 Ohioans used the three days prior to election to vote in the 2008 election, while Republicans state that the early voting period had no effect on the 2004 or 2008 election.

Voter fraud in Ohio occurred at a rate of 0.00004% in the 2004 election according to a study by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. Limiting early in-person voting to members of the military and those overseas sends the message that one vote is valued more than another, in a highly sought-after swing-state. Ohio holds 18 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

 

In the court opinion, Economus wrote:

"Plaintiffs will suffer irreparable injury if in-person early voting is not restored the last three days before Election Day, and there is no definitive evidence before the court that elections boards will be tremendously burdened."

 

You can read the entire court opinion here.

 

State Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) plans to take the case to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Economus is an appointee of former Democratic president, Bill Clinton.