Posted on 11/08/2005 9:37:20 PM PST by Pikamax
Voters trounce election changes in Ohio 12:02 AM, Wednesday, November 9, 2005 By JOHN McCARTHY Associated Press Writer COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Voters soundly rejected four issues Tuesday that would have overhauled the way Ohio runs its elections, ending a high-pitched campaign that had hoped to capitalize on a Republican investment scandal and complaints about last year's presidential election.
The issues would have opened absentee balloting to all voters, lowered the cap on individual campaign contributions and put boards, instead of elected officials, in charge of drawing legislative and congressional districts and overseeing the state's elections.
Reform Ohio Now, a coalition of unions and other Democrat-leaning groups, wanted to wrest control of elections from state officeholders, now a virtual Republican monopoly. Republicans resisted, forming an opposition group known as Ohio First.
The opposition did its job, said former state Rep. Ed Jerse, a Euclid Democrat who directed the backers' campaign.
"If I learned anything in the Legislature, it's a lot easier to kill something than to pass something," Jerse said. "The other side is attacking you at every step."
State Rep. Kevin DeWine, a suburban Dayton Republican who helped to drive the opposition, said voters were turned off by the complexity of the ballot issues, but that wasn't the whole story.
"When an issue gets trounced 70-30 it's not a matter of voter confusion, it's just a bad idea," DeWine said. "I think that voters saw that this was funded by people who are not Ohioans and I think voters were able to see through that."
With 69 percent of precincts reporting, the absentee ballot question was behind 64 percent-36 percent; campaign contributions, 68 percent-32 percent; redistricting and election oversight, both 71 percent-29 percent.
Gene Beaupre, a political scientist at Xavier University, said he doesn't believe the issues will be back soon, "not unless they can be more clearly stated and in shorter form and I don't know how you do that."
The coalition backing the changes saw an opportunity amid an investment scandal that has cost the state $300 million and led to the conviction of Republican Gov. Bob Taft on ethics charges. The campaign came within a year of the 2004 election in Ohio, which gave President Bush his victory.
Proponents said changes were necessary to restore integrity to state elections and take big money out of politics. Opponents said the issues were nothing but a power grab by Democrats who have been on the political sidelines for 11 years.
Most excellent news. Ohio is not buying all this liberal crap.
In all the years that I've lived in Ohio, I've never seen a statewide anything get beat as badly as issues 2-5.
GREAT NEWS!
I was worried about Issue 2, but now that most counties are reporting there's no way it can pass.
Issue 1 disappointed me, but it was the most benign (and not funded by the leftist groups funding 2-5).
WAY too go Ohio!
Next step:
Elect Ken Blackwell Governor in '06!
Furthermore, the Ohio legislature and the Gov. passed a law liberalizing absentee voting WITH THE PROVISION THAT YOU NEEDED TO SHOW ID TO VOTE ABSENTEE.
Another loss for the dems.
Great news.
More Soros money thrown to the 'RATS in the sewer. LOL!
Ohio did well tonight. Along with Texas passing a marriage amendment. bright spots in the evening surely, and count some Liberal groups extremely unhappy with these results.
I didn't know this election was even going on. Could anyone give a brief summary?
Go OHIO!!!
Cool. The liberals were too blatant in their grab for power.
Great news. Shame all the MSM will be talking about is the Kaine and Corzine victories
xzins summed it up nicely
Issues:
1. The Pro “Crony Finance” Amendment. This supposed “pro job” amendment has helped only 450 people so far at the tune of over 700,000 dollars per person (300+ million dollars total). Politicians helping their friends: and they want 2 billion dollars more for other political cronies. Vote NO on Issue 1.
2. The Pro “Voter Fraud” Amendment. This amendment will make it possible for voting to go on for days and days (over a month) and no one is required to vote in their own precinct or prove their identity. (We'll turn into Florida, folks!) Vote NO on Issue 2.
3. The Pro “Campaign Corruption” Amendment. This lets unions, factions, splinter groups, pac-like groups, and sects funnel huge amounts of money into campaigns, but restricts individual voters like YOU. Vote NO on Issue 3.
4. The Anti “Home Districts” Amendment. Instead of voting districts that are near your home, this amendment will let politicians design voting districts that could stretch across the entire state. Vote NO on Issue 4.
5. The Pro “Voter Confusion/Florida Copycat” Amendment. This amendment will put our elections in the hands of appointed political cronies instead of accountable, elected officials. We don't want Washington activists counting “hanging and pregnant chads" in Ohio and telling us what to do. Vote NO on Issue 5.
Sanity prevails after all. CA doesn't look so good, seems like all are going down except #75 is yes by a very slim margin. going to bed
The Democrats are so far left that Helen Keller could tell their arguments felt and smelled like crap.
Looks like George Soros is a loser again.
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