Posted on 10/27/2006 8:21:39 AM PDT by rspeerchem
Petro to appeal voter-ID ruling over Blackwell’s objections By Alan Johnson The Columbus Dispatch Friday, October 27, 2006 10:30 AM
Attorney General Jim Petro has decided to appeal a federal judge's ruling on voter identification requirements — over the objections of Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell.
Petro this morning filed a notice of appeal with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals contesting the ruling made just last night by Judge Algenon L. Marbley of U.S. District Court in Columbus.
Blackwell, the Republican candidate for governor, decided last night not to appeal Marbley's ruling putting new voter ID requirements on hold.
But his morning Petro, also a Republican, proceeded with the appeal.
“Our goal is to protect the right to vote and make sure no voter is disenfranchised and to defend the lawfully enacted state law,” Petro spokesman Mark Anthony said.
A Blackwell spokesman last night said the secretary of state “has an election to administer and doesn't have the time to get caught up in endless litigation.
In his decision, Marbley said, “County boards are treating absentee voters differently. That's a patent violation of the equal protection clause" of the U.S. Constitution.”
He issued a temporary injunction putting on hold the voter ID requirements included in laws approved earlier this year by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.
Thousands of voters across Ohio already have been caught in the web of the new requirements; many used the wrong number from their driver's license on absentee ballots. If Marbley's ruling doesn't hold, those ballots likely will be thrown out.
Matthew Damschroder, Franklin County elections director, estimated that as many as 5,000 of the 100,000 absentee ballots expected to be submitted have ID problems and would not be counted.
He couldn't say how many already received had the wrong license number but noted that many of the 327 absentee ballots disqualified in the May primary had the improper one.
Michael Vu, Cuyahoga County elections director, estimated that “several hundred people” in the state's largest county already have returned absentee ballots with the wrong license number.
Vu said Cuyahoga County officials were considering trying to contact voters to get the correct number. But Damschroder said the legal interpretation in Franklin County is that once an absentee ballot is mailed, it is just like a vote being cast and can't be altered.
“This is the ultimate flip flop,” said Randy Borntrager, spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party. “I think everyone can agree that the Voter ID rules are untenable, and now Blackwell has put himself squarely on the side of disarray in this election.”
The lawsuit was filed by the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and Service Employees International Union, Local 1199. The groups argued that the laws, because of loose definitions, have led to unequal enforcement.
Marbley has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday on whether to make his ruling permanent for absentee ballots, and also on whether it will apply to voter ID requirements on Election Day.
Do you have a link for this?
Thanks
Aha so that's what they are up to. Keep Blackwell busy so he can't campaign.
Well the 6th circuit should look at the SCOTUS decision about Arizona and overrule the Clinton judge.
So rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water, why didn't they just decide how to handle the data on the ballots uniformly?
“County boards are treating absentee voters differently. That's a patent violation of the equal protection clause" of the U.S. Constitution.”
TRANSLATION:
Republican directors are enforcing THE LAW, Democrat Directors have chosen NOT TOO...
Since Democrats have chosen which laws they will enforce, and which they won't, it makes the playing field "Unfair"...
The dems are just laying the groundwork for maore voter fraud. Then accuse the Republics of worse.
There is no 'bickering' or 'objecting' going on here. Just lack of time on Blackwell's part as he defeats a leftist piece of slime for Governor.
btw, why are all you NEWBIES trying to suppress Ohio voter turnout? Soros money paying all of you?
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