Ohio voter suppression smacked down by Republican judge

Last edited Tue May 24, 2016, 07:02 PM - Edit history (4)

MSNBC
Rachel Maddow Show
May 24, 2016
04;17 PM

Republican state policymakers have approved voter suppression policies across much of the country in recent years, but GOP officials in Ohio went further than most, going out of their way to place new hurdles between Ohioans and their democracy.

About a decade ago, in response to a messy and needlessly complex voting system, Ohio approved a vastly improved process for the state's voters.
In 2010, however, Republicans took control of Ohio government, deliberately undid the improvements, and by 2014, the state had imposed harsh new restrictions on voter registrations, absentee ballots, and early voting.

As the measures were being approved, the editorial board of the Cleveland Plain Dealer argued,
"Ohio House Republicans appear poised to pass two measures that, disguises aside, aim to limit voting by Ohioans who might vote for Democrats...That's not just political hardball, it's an affront to democracy."
Republicans, led by Gov. John Kasich (R) imposed the restrictions anyway.

Today, the Columbus Dispatch reported that a federal judge pushed back against the far-right tide.

"The GOP-dominated legislature unconstitutionally violated Ohioans' voting rights by eliminating 'Golden Week' and other actions that cut access to the ballot, a Republican federal judge ruled today.
Judge Michael H. Watson of U.S. District Court in Columbus ordered Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted and Attorney General Mike DeWine to stop enforcing the decreased voting period.
If the ruling stands, that means Ohioans will now be able to vote 35 days before the November general election - including for a so-called 'Golden Week' in which an eligible resident can register to vote and cast an absentee ballot at the same time."

More:
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/ohio-voter-suppression-smacked-down-republican-judge




"In Major Decision,Federal Court Blocks Cutback In Ohio Registration/Early Voting 'Golden Week"

In a 120-page opinion, a federal district court has held that the Ohio legislature's elimination of "Golden Week," a week in which Ohio voters could both register to vote and cast an early ballot at the same location, violates both the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
This is a big victory for Marc Elias and the Democrats who brought this suit.

Democrats have relied heavily on "Golden Week" in the past and fought the Ohio Legislature
(dominated by Republicans) to keep it.
The theories accepted by the trial court are sure to be controversial, and it is not clear how they will fare in the Eighth Circuit.
However, the Sixth Circuit has among the most pro-voting rights views of both constitutional and voting rights theories.
The case could well go en banc to the Sixth Circuit, especially because of a likely 4-4 split at the U.S. Supreme Court, leaving the Sixth Circuit as likely the last word on the meaning of the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act in the area covered by the Sixth Circuit for this election.

More:
http://electionlawblog.org/
(Scroll down to 10th story)