Ohio SOS Brunner's sudden call for a crackdown on party-switching voters makes...

Cleveland Plain Dealer ^ | 03/31/2010 | The Plain Dealer Editorial Board

[EBH]

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's last-minute order demanding strict application of a law that two years ago she said was unenforceable is an invitation to trouble in a state that has seen too much of it around elections.

Brunner on Friday directed Ohio's 88 county election boards to make all voters switching affiliation to the Democrats or Republicans for the May 4 primary sign affidavits vowing allegiance to their new party. Would-be switchers voting by mail also have to sign the pledge; their votes won't be counted if they do not -- or even if they do sign and don't return the affidavit in the precise manner specified by Brunner's order.

In Cuyahoga County, the impact was immediate: 60,000 absentee ballots were supposed to go in Tuesday's mail; 40,000 were pulled back to add new information.

Poll workers throughout the state will have to be retrained, especially in counties where the law about challenging crossovers was ignored routinely.

[EBH]

State law says that election workers may challenge switchers and make them sign the loyalty oath. It does not require such challenges.

Afraid of vote them all out, Jennifer? Afraid you will see mass party defections in the primaries? Afraid you might see Republicans crossing over to vote for real fiscal conservative democrats rather than Ohio party-line progressives?

Go on make more laws, more hurdles to voting, disenfranchise the electorate with your actions.

[Rome2000]

The socialists do whatever it takes to win.

The right is clueless, and should strive to emulate them, or perish.

[Adder]

She can’t do that!

Ballots are supposed to be secret. [I know they aren’t really but still....]

What gives her this authority and can she have the stinkin panties sued off of her?

[Man50D]

Ve aware of what the socialists have in mind to corrupt the mid term elections and beyond.

Soros Eyes Secretaries

Forget amnesty, look where Democrats now stoop for votes!

[Man50D]

Ve = Be

[EBH]

Would-be switchers voting by mail also have to sign the pledge; their votes won't be counted if they do not

I really despise this woman.

[shalom aleichem]

Brunner has been a curse. Hopefully she’ll lose the primary for US Senate and then her term as SOS will expire without a whimper. She has been extremely political in office. Oh for the days of Ken Blackwell, who should have gone on to be GOP chair but we got Mr Steele instead.

[livius]

I’m sure they’ve already seen too many people leaving the Dems and decided to put a stop to it.

[edpc]

....all voters switching affiliation to the Democrats or Republicans for the May 4 primary sign affidavits vowing allegiance to their new party.

OK, let's say you switch parties to vote for a specific candidate and he loses the primary. The way I read this allegiance BS is now your supposed to be stuck voting for someone you don't like, due to party affiliation or not vote at all? Get the hell out of here......

[boxerblues]

When you had a massive amount of voter switching over to Dem for the 08 primary to vote Dem she had no problem with it.

Now that the table has turned she decides to enforce the law.

As an election worker we were required to ask people to sign the affidavit that they were switching parties...most complied without any problems. It was the Independent voter who refused to to declare a party that threw hissy fits because they wanted to vote but did not want to declare a party, which meant they only got to vote on issues only.

[boxerblues]

Ohio primaries are paid for by the parties...this so called allegiance is only valid until the next primary, you are free to vote for who ever you want in the general election

[boxerblues]

Ohio Ping list please

[EBH]

So they switched parties and signed the oath, now I want to switch back after seeing the error of my ways...a poll worker is going to decide if that is ‘good enough reason’ or just let me vote issues only?

Gosh darn that sure sounds like disenfranchisement to me.

[edpc]

Thanks for the clarification. It didn’t make sense the other way and would have been beyond outrageous.

[boxerblues]

You are free to switch parties in any primary election then you are stuck till the next primary.

In most counties in Ohio you will only see D or R candidates on the ballot to vote for in the election where as in the general election you will see all parties on the ballot.

In a primary where you do not which to declare a party you will only get to vote on the issues if there are any..and is given an "Independent Ballot" this has caused major problems at least for the ones I have worked as they voter thinks there will "Independent" candidates on his ballot

[EBH]

Have you ever seen a poll worker refuse to allow a voter to switch parties? What does “challenge” in the language mean at the poll level? Thanks.

[myself6]

(+)

[cotton1706]

She’s running for governor and wants to pick and choose which votes are counted.

[boxerblues]

Most poll workers will not question you if you want to switch parties, we just make sure you are doing so voluntarily and of your own free will and that you are aware that you cannot switch parties again until the next primary.

The only “challenge” I have seen was from a Republican party poll observer questioning a known and active Democratic party member trying to switch sides to vote against his candidates opponent, it was argued back and forth but I do not know if he was allowed to switch or not....this happened before I was working the polls and was only there to vote.

[marstegreg]

Ohio primaries are paid for by the parties...this so called allegiance is only valid until the next primary, you are free to vote for who ever you want in the general election

The problem here is that Frau Brunner represents the Democratic party and has “messed” with Ohio voters (ACORN, voter fraud and more) before.