Judge Restores Early Voting Rights in Ohio
September 6, 2012
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In a setback for the GOP voter suppression campaign, a federal judge has ordered the state of Ohio to restore early voting for the final three days before Election Day. The ruling comes in the wake of two other recent rulings against voter suppression-related laws in Florida and Texas.
The Ohio law, passed by the swing state’s GOP-controlled state legislature, would have ended in-person voting for most people in the state three days earlier than previous years. However, President Barack Obama’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and the Ohio Democratic Party challenged the measure, alleging the law disproportionately affected minorities and the working-class.
In a blatant attempt to limit voter turnout and influence the presidential election, GOP legislators have proposed voter suppression laws in 34 states. The targets of these new laws: minorities, college students, low-income voters and the elderly.
Ohio is one of a handful of states that could determine the outcome of the race between President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. If more of the unjust laws are not overturned, the Brennan Center for Justice estimates that as many as five million Americans could be denied the right to vote on Election Day, November 6, 2012.
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