Ohio Sec of State Concealed 200,000 Applications
WTH? Yes, Brunner should comply with the courts.
More than 200,000 Ohioans who registered to vote this year for the first time or updated their voting information since Jan. 1 could be affected by the latest court ruling requiring the state to set up a new registration verification system by Friday, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said.
Brunner said she would comply with the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling late Tuesday but said she is deeply concerned that the decision is a veiled attempt at disenfranchising voters.
The court’s 9-6 opinion, written by Judge Jeffrey Sutton, suggested that voters whose driver’s license number or Social Security number does not exactly match those found on databases maintained by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles or Social Security Administration could be required to use provisional ballots instead of conventional ones.
“The thing that concerns me is that Judge Sutton indicated that these mismatched names could be subjected to provisional voting and nowhere in [Help America Vote Act] is that the case. The Help America Vote Act is really not meant to be used to disenfranchise or to help determine voter eligibility,” Brunner said in an interview today.
“Essentially that provision of HAVA is basically supposed to maintain voter registration databases,” she said. “It is not for determining voter eligibility. The interpretation that seems to be coming from at least that particular judge takes HAVA and uses it as a means to exclude voters from a regular ballot. That is a concern.”
The full 6th Circuit’s opinion overturned the decision of a three-judge panel at the federal court last week and restored the ruling announced last week by U.S. District Court Judge George C. Smith.
Since Jan. 1, Ohio has 666,000 newly registered or updated voters — all of whom fall under scrutiny by this latest court ruling. Brunner said an initial review found that at least 200,000 of them might have mismatched information. Once the office identifies all of the mismatched voters, Brunner will send the list to the county boards of election where the individuals have registered.
BTW, If you’re struck from the rolls and show up to vote, that doesn’t mean you lose your vote. You can vote by provisional ballot. The envelope remains sealed until your bona fides can be established. Then, once you’ve been found to be a legal voter, the envelope is opened and your ballot is counted.
And also in Ohio:
Young Obama cultists signing up to vote in whatever swing state The One needs them to — even having no connection to the state whatsoever. Apart from an in-state friend willing to claim, Oh, sure, all 50 of you live in my hovel.
2 comments October 15th, 2008
