Ohio Limits Early Voting Hours In Democratic Counties, Expands In Republican Counties

[_Kissy_]

Ohio has introduced a new tactic in their broader attempts to make it even harder for Democratic voters to get to the polls this year. Early voting stations in Ohio’s heavily Democratic counties will only be open between 8 am and 5 pm, while Republican counties have expanded their hours to allow voting on nights and weekends.

This rule is the latest in a broader attack on voting rights in Ohio, which often comes down to a tiny margin of votes. Ohio Republicans are currently ensconced in a legal battle with the Obama campaign over another new rule that would limit early voting in the three day period before the election exclusively to military families. Mitt Romney falsely claims Obama’s lawsuit is meant to take away voting rights from military families, when in fact he is simply trying to restore voting rights to all Ohio residents. Early voting was introduced to mitigate Ohio’s notoriously chaotic elections,in which thousands of votes are tossed due to clerical errors and bureaucratic confusion.

Starting October 1st, voters in Democrat-leaning urban centers including Cleveland, Columbus, Akron and Toledo will now only be allowed to vote between 8 am and 5 pm on weekdays, when the majority of people are at work. The board of elections in these counties, which are split evenly between Democrats and Republicans, was gridlocked over a Democratic effort to expand hours. The Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted stepped in to deny expanded hours in these counties. But Republican-heavy counties have actually expanded early voting hours on nights and weekends, when most people have time to go to the polls. The Nation reports:

According to the Board of Elections, 82% of early voters in Franklin County voted early on nights or weekends, which Republicans have curtailed. The number who voted on nights or weekends was nearly 50% in Cuyahoga County.

“I cannot create unequal access from one county board to another, and I must also keep in mind resources available to each county,” Husted said in explaining his decision to deny expanded early voting hours in heavily Democratic counties. Yet in solidly Republican counties like Warren and Butler, GOP election commissioners have approved expanded early voting hours on nights and weekends.

Besides historically favoring Democrats, these urban centers comprise Ohio’s most populous and diverse counties. 28 percent of Cuyahoga County is African American, as is 20 percent of Franklin County. President Obama won the African American vote by 95 points in Ohio.

Voters in these cities already have to surmount many challenges to get their votes counted. A recent study by the Cincinnati Enquirer found urban counties are particularly vulnerable to the clerical errors that lead to thousands of discarded ballots. An investigation into Ohio’s chaotic 2004 election by the Government Accounting Office confirmed Democratic districts’ complaints of a shortage of voting machines,along with malfunctioning equipment that incorrectly registered the voter’s choice. George W. Bush narrowly won the state, putting him over the top for a second term.

[mehamil1]

Oh fuck these people. So much for democracy. We don't have it. 

[29again]

Link..............PLEASE. 

[itsmesteph11]

 This is not worth considering. There isn't enough information here to get the facts. Of course the Dems will love making everything they can squeeze out of it, whatever the truth is.

[jcrew6]

“The reality is that local boards are operating under tight budget constraints on a day-to-day basis under their normal business hours. There is sufficient time already available during the Franklin County Board’s regular business hours for the casting of absentee voters’ ballots in person.”

"In Southwest Ohio, elections boards in traditionally Republican Butler and Warren counties have approved special night and weekend voting hours from early October through Nov. 1."Because Democrats did not oppose the idea, there were no tie votes to submit to Husted, leaving those early voting plans intact.





“Local boards of elections can set their own hours for early voting if they can agree on it,” McClellan ( sec of state) said.




So, who is going to cough up the cash for the tight budget counties? The magical cash cow? Every registered voter will get an absentee ballot application, so people can vote 24/7 from home for weeks before the election. Liberal bloggers heads are spinning over budgetary issues. News flash: some republican counties have more $ to spend than the democratic counties. Which is the Bigger issue we should be discussing.

[jcrew6]

Quoting 29again:

Link..............PLEASE. 

Yea, Rachel Maddow tried to spin this, bloggers picked it up. The tile is even a LIE. But, given the Op, are we surprised? Ohio, as a whole isn't limiting anything. Local counties are voting based on budgets.

[itsmesteph11]

Ever wonder why Democratic districts always seem short on funds?  The Dems like to play it like they are discriminated against. They like to play the victim.  Maybe it's because they don't use their money wisely?    I think so.

Quoting jcrew6:

Quoting 29again:

Link..............PLEASE. 

Yea, Rachel Maddow tried to spin this, bloggers picked it up. The tile is even a LIE. But, given the Op, are we surprised? Ohio, as a whole isn't limiting anything. Local counties are voting based on budgets.

 

[jcrew6]

Quoting itsmesteph11:

 This is not worth considering. There isn't enough information here to get the facts. Of course the Dems will love making everything they can squeeze out of it, whatever the truth is.

Lol. Well, apparently some liberal minds have forgotten about the whole absentee ballot "thing". Conspiracy theories are, perhaps, much more exciting.

[jcrew6]

Quoting mehamil1:

Oh fuck these people. So much for democracy. We don't have it. 

I would suggest you research the budgetary issues of these counties. Individual ELECTED officials in these counties VOTED. Where are you questioning democracy? Don't get me wrong, the flair for dramatics adds a certain touch, but seriously-- let's discuss.

[29again]

Quoting jcrew6:

“The reality is that local boards are operating under tight budget constraints on a day-to-day basis under their normal business hours. There is sufficient time already available during the Franklin County Board’s regular business hours for the casting of absentee voters’ ballots in person.”

"In Southwest Ohio, elections boards in traditionally Republican Butler and Warren counties have approved special night and weekend voting hours from early October through Nov. 1."Because Democrats did not oppose the idea, there were no tie votes to submit to Husted, leaving those early voting plans intact.





“Local boards of elections can set their own hours for early voting if they can agree on it,” McClellan ( sec of state) said.




So, who is going to cough up the cash for the tight budget counties? The magical cash cow? Every registered voter will get an absentee ballot application, so people can vote 24/7 from home for weeks before the election. Liberal bloggers heads are spinning over budgetary issues. News flash: some republican counties have more $ to spend than the democratic counties. Which is the Bigger issue we should be discussing.

If we start discussing WHY the dem counties don't have the funding, then they can't continue to pull/play the victim card.  And then their shortcomings will be in the spotlight, and that is not the best place to be this close to the election.  Those dems in power want to stay in power, and the best way for them to continue is to play that victim card with everything they have.  I just don't think it will work for too much longer, people are waking up and asking questions that the dems don't want to answer.