A Victory for Democracy in Ohio
Voters in Ohio can begin taking advantage of a weeklong window of in-person same day voter registration and early voting today, thanks to court decisions upholding a directive by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.
After the Ohio legislature gave the nod to "no excuse" early voting this year, Brunner issued a directive allowing people to register to register and vote during a single visit to their local elections office. The state Republican Party and a pair of local operatives sued to try to prevent the directive from taking effect, but two federal judges have now upheld a decision from the state's highest court allowing it to stand.
Brunner called yesterday's ruling by the Ohio State Supreme Court "a victory for all Ohio voters," and said it "sends a strong message to the forces of confusion and chaos that our top goal must be protecting Ohioans' voting rights."
We couldn't agree more.
This week's same day registration/early voting period in Ohio is expected to bring thousands of new and traditionally underrepresented voters into the democratic process, including students, low income people, people of color and new citizens - the same populations whose voting rights were curtailed by Republican voter suppression tactics in 2004.
What a difference it makes to have a Secretary of State committed to fair and ethical elections. That's why our 2008 slate targets clean elections candidates in Montana, Oregon, Missouri and West Virginia. Your contribution helps us stand up for candidates who will stand up for fairness.
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