Posted on 11/02/2004 6:44:49 PM PST by 4kevin
A federal judge in Toledo has ruled that Ohio voters who did not receive absentee ballots on time can cast provisional ballots at the polls.
The decision by U-S District Court Judge David Katz reverses an earlier directive by Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell. Blackwell's directive had said the voters could not cast provisional ballots despite not receiving their absentee ones.
Sarah White has sued elections officials today on behalf of Ohio voters who claim they did not receive their absentee ballots. She wanted permission for them to be able to cast provisional ballots at the polls.
It was unclear how many voters were affected, but the California group that helped file the lawsuit said they had spoken to several people who said they hadn't received the absentee ballots they requested.
They should be able to get that.
So why does this take a judge to decide?
You can always vote provisional. It may never get counted, but it seems to me that every state has provisional ballot provisions.
Here in Alaska, its called a Questioned ballot, and you can wander into any precinct and vote for national/statewide/disctrictwide races on a questioned ballot. They are counted last (if at all) and only after a cross check with your regular precinct voting log.
"Corruption in elections has heretofore destroyed all elective governments. What regulations or precautions may be devised to prevent it in future, I am content with you to leave posterity to consider. You and I shall go to the Kingdom of the just or at least shall be released from the Republic of the Unjust, with hearts pure and hands clean of all corruption in elections; so much I firmly believe." - John Adams, letter to Thomas Jefferson, April 6, 1796.
Moreover, it will only count if they were (a) sent an absentee ballot and (b) did not cast an absentee vote.
Thank you for the clarification. I was curious how that worked.
It may help Republicans if Dem election workers pulled the trick of not sending absentee ballots to GOP voters.
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