Federal Judge Restores Early Voting In Ohio After Obama Suit

[highplainsdem]

Source: TPM

A federal judge in Ohio restored early voting rights in the three days before the election on Friday, ruling in favor of the Obama campaign.

U.S. District judge Peter C. Economus ruled that "restoring in-person early voting to all Ohio voters through the Monday before Election Day does not deprive UOCAVA voters from early voting."

"Instead, and more importantly, it places all Ohio voters on equal standing," Economus ruled. He said the state "fails to articulate a precise, compelling interest in establishing the 6 p.m. Friday deadline as applied to non-UOCAVA voters and has failed to evidence any commitment to the 'exception' it rhetorically extended to UOCAVA voters."

-snip-

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/federal-judge-restores-early-voting-in-ohio-after

[broadcaster75201]

1. HUGE news!

If we get out the vote, this wins OH.

[daybranch]

17. identification

We have to make sure voters bring proof of residence for the first time. It is best to get early voting started ASAP rather than last 3 days.

[rocktivity]

2. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!

And right of the heels of victories in Florida and Texas!

Oh, and do those fired guys get their jobs back? Hope Rachel's planning to work tonight!


rocktivity

[SemperEadem]

37. the 5 6 7 8's...

[Did I Just Type This]

52. one of the most bizarre things i have ever seen.

The women look like grandmas, not that there is anything wrong with that. I just kinda felt old watching that and remembering how young i was when it came out.

[greiner3]

56. "The 5.6.7.8's made a brief appearance in the 2003 Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill Volume 1..."

I don't think they were among the dead and hacked left on the ground by 'Black Mamba.'

[HankyDub]

68. Cut the corporate sloganeering!

I don't know why you want to act like a goddam commercial.

[rocktivity]

69. It's been my official way of celebrating political victories on DU

for nearly ten years -- which I think counts as corporate DE-sloganeering.


rocktivity

[kimbutgar]

3. Great news for democracy.

[The Wielding Truth]

38. Now Pa is in need of help! It is their, our, right to vote!

Come on DOJ!

[gateley]

67. Did they file suit in PA? Is that the State where the guy on camera said the new rules would

ensure a win for Republicans?

[The Wielding Truth]

81. Yes. Open corruption.

[wordpix]

4. YEAH! Thank Gawd for federal judges who do not just go along with the 1% Reich Wing

[cosmicone]

5. yay! I hope the rethugs don't appeal to the supreme court n/t

[Doremus]

62. They've already announced they are doing just that. n/t

[FarPoint]

78. The republicans are trying to run out the clock

Appeal, block, disenfranchise...."We win"...that is their plan.

[randome]

6. What happens to the 2 elections officials who were fired? Anyone know?

[mojo2012]

12. I want to know too

I hope the two election officials have a good attorney or a little publicity help from Rachel Maddow or Al Sharpton who have had both election officials tell their story.....

[FarPoint]

79. Here is a start....

It appears they are organized already and working behind the scenes.

I Dennis Lieberman and Tom Ritchie


http://www.democraticunderground.com/1071319

[riverwalker]

7. Fantastic news!

wow

[Blue Owl]

8. Fuck every cheating Republican and the goddamned crimes they rode in on

n/t

[Judi Lynn]

9. Thank you, highplainsdem. Wowie! n/t

[Panasonic]

10. The judge should order Husted to reinstall the two Democratic committeemen that he fired

or face serious indictments and the SoS will be ordered to tie his hands into the chair for the next 2 months.

Do absolutely nothing to suppress minority votes.

Then sentence Husted to 100 years in Levenworth, hard labor. For the rest of his life. 12 hour days at a penny per day.

[speedoo]

35. Just hang the bastard.

He's not worth jailing.

[avebury]

11. +1,000 K&R

[Botany]

13. This is the result of the work of Ohio's former Sec. of State Jennifer Brunner*

Last edited Fri Aug 31, 2012, 03:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Jennifer Brunner


* At least I think so

Edit ..... I just heard from Jennifer and this ruling is the result of a lawsuit
by the Obama campaign ..... J. Brunner and Fair Elections Ohio have a lawsuit
in front of another judge about protecting early voting rights coming up soon.

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

32. I'm going to doubt that.

She is a Dem after all, though that guarantees little.

[Kolesar]

40. Suit was filed by Fair Elections Ohio, Jennifer Brunner's organization

She totally rules! I should say she is dedicated and brilliant!!

http://www.ieee-pes.org/images/pdf/open-access-milligan.pdf

[font size ="4"]Judge Peter Economus ruled in favor of restoring voting rights for the last weekend before the election in Ohio. Take a look at his decision here. The suit was brought by the Obama campaign and the Ohio Democratic Party. Congratulations to all, and especially to Ohio voters.

A suit filed by Fair Elections Ohio remains pending before federal judge George Smith to restore the ability of boards of elections to add other weekend voting during the 35-day absentee and early voting period, if they believe it is needed in their counties.

The suit was filed against Secretary of State Jon Husted for his directive banning all weekend voting. Fair Elections Ohio claims violations of due process and first amendment rights.

On August 15, 2012, Secretary Husted refused to submit HB 194 to the Ohio Ballot Board for preparing language for the November election ballot. On that same day, he directed county boards of election to maintain business hours for which early in person voting could be offered to weekdays only, in effect enacting parts of the stayed legislation that would banned some weekend voting.

Fair Elections Ohio claims that only the voters of Ohio can determine this issue and that Husted has damaged them and Ohio voters by failing to carry out his constitutional duty and interfering with the referendum process.

[elleng]

45. Should HIGHLIGHT this, Kolesar!

A few posts recently doubted her, after appearance on ?Rachel? show, then another thread announcing this suit. DU really should salute her!
P.S., this story appears in several threads today, and the more the merrier!

[FarPoint]

77. Absolutely!

Jennifer Brunner is the sharpest knife in the drawer.

[Surya Gayatri]

14. YEEESSSSSS! There is hope for justice after all...

[thecrow]

15. Wonderful news!

Just very happy to hear this.... I have been so angered by the news of late. This is a really good sign that we still have a democracy. Nice going.

[DippyDem]

16. Yay!!

Koch and Adelson sure are wasting millions, but hey it pumps money into the peoples economy.

[BogD2]

18. Fantastico!!!!

Just signed up and my first post. I'm elated to see that the federal judge restored early voting in Ohio. As an Ohio resident; I am getting mighty sick of the repubs tactics. I'm in my early 50's and for the life of me can't understand how people can fall for the repubs repulsive tactics. A friend the other day asked me didn't I think that was a great speech Paul Ryan gave at the Convention? I about lost my dinner..PLEASE VOTE EVERYONE!!!!

[Jazzgirl]

19. Welcome to DU!

[BogD2]

22. Fantastico!!!!

Thanks for the welcome Jazzgirl!!

[TahitiNut]

39. While I might question your choice of "a friend" ... welcome to DU.

Go Blue!!

[renate]

48. welcome to DU!

I know what you mean about people falling for Republicans' nuttiness... a friend on Facebook posted (this morning, after all the comments and articles from last night), without embarrassment, that she thought Clint Eastwood gave a great speech last night. Could she possibly mean that? Is she so delusional that she really thought it was a good speech? Apparently so... reality means nothing to some people.

Anyway, welcome!

[Blanks]

60. I have a friend who is a Ron Paul supporter...

Who posted that it was 'interesting'.

He seemed to mean it in a positive way. I don't know how anyone could come to that conclusion.

I have another (female republican) friend who was 'energized' by Ryan's speech. They are both in Idaho.

They must be on a much different wave length.

[MissNostalgia]

20. I may cry

Im so elated over this news, Im getting teary.

[xtraxritical]

21. Is it too much trouble to type out what UOCAVA means? The post is useless without this info.

[Yooperman]

26. Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

I thought the same thing. I always thought the proper etiquette when writing an article was to always write out the full name of an anyone or organization. Then afterwards abbreviations are ok.


YM

[silverweb]

42. Thank you!

[font color="green" face="Verdana"]I was about to ask the same question -- and you're absolutely right about the right way to use acronyms. The correct way is to spell out whatever it is the first time it's used, with the acronym in parentheses, and then it's okay to use just the acronym or abbreviation alone. Anything less is really sloppy, rude, and poor form.

My other pet peeve is when an on-line publication refers to a location by city or town only, without mentioning what state it's in, and I have to go hunting to find that out. Sometimes it's harder than it would seem to be to pin down in a local publication.

[xtraxritical]

58. Thanks, these are big peeves with me too.

You are very right, in proper English grammar acronyms should only be used after the complete term is written out in full the first time followed by the acronym abbreviation in parenthesis.

On edit - I also think it's stupid when the state is not mentioned, like we all know where your podunk city is!

[garthranzz]

23. YES! Keep it coming

FL - TX - OH - PA!!!

Let the people vote!!

Power to the people!!!

(sorry, showing my age

[SCVDem]

34. That would be

Florida, Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

[freshwest]

24. This is what Holder has been focused on.

[randome]

46. Holder?

That useless, lazy, contemptuous enabler of...oh, wait. Maybe he's not so bad after all.

[goclark]

55. Go Holder! K and R

[Jim__]

25. Great news!

[liberal N proud]

27. All the dirty tricks that have been pulled in this state since Kasich took office

The entire administration should be in jail.

This is just one more time that something had to be set right because these thugs are trying to pull one over on the people of Ohio.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. This is good

It gives me a better feeling about Pennsylvania.

[burnsei sensei]

29. I'm not an Ohioan, but I'm so pleased!

And with the ruling on Texas also.
The Party of No has had to hear their word used against them.
It feels good that the rich and powerful don't get their way all the time.
We need faith in society and in institutions, and news like this is just what the doctor ordered.

[proud patriot]

30. wooo hoo !

3 states down two to go

[patrice]

31. K&R

[farmbo]

33. Who wants to join me for a beer!?

[Lasher]

36. I'm in!

[grantcart]

41. yep

[WinstonSmith4740]

61. I'm so there with you!

Just got home from work...what GREAT news to come home to!! This makes me feel SO much better about the possibility of getting the rest of these damn laws thrown out AND for November. We all know that there's no way R&R could beat Obama in a straight up vote, so they have to use all the dirty tricks money can buy. They were screwing up so badly, I was really beginning to think the fix was already in, so R&R figured they could say whatever they want to the crazies. This is so exciting!

[Lasher]

43. Ohio Secretary of State had had authorized early voting in GOP-dominated precincts only.

That is the issue but it's not coming out in the news.

[Panasonic]

80. Unauthorized use of selective choice of which percients to allow open

That's breaking the Constitution - something about equal rights for all Americans..

Not just GOP.

Assholes.

[Kolesar]

44. Jennifer Brunner and Fair Elections Ohio are still litigating for additional weekends...eom

[elleng]

47. Great!

[PatrynXX]

49. so what happens to the two who were fired for following the law?

lawsuit?

[sakabatou]

51. That may go in for another, different lawsuit

[grantcart]

50. They will look like idiots if they appeal

[LiberalLovinLug]

53. Of course they are idiots what do you expect

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/ohio-will-appeal-expansion-of-early-voting

[Cha]

54. Wow! Thank you, highplainsdem, ..hope this

STANDS!

[DonRedwood]

57. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some great news on this front in the past couple of days!!!!

This is very good news! Now get a couple of nice 80 year old voters to tell their story of losing their voting privileges with these laws and I'm gonna be even extra happier!

[chknltl]

59. Even more great news!

Texas now Ohio....Pennsylvania next?

[CTyankee]

63. Oh, thank goddess! Without this, Ohio might be lost...

I am SO lifted by the news today of the judges rulings in OH, Fl and TX. It means that probably two of them we will be able to maintain as blue for Obama. TX is still a problem, but it's coming along...

[ecstatic]

64. I feel so relieved

Even though I don't live in Ohio, the situation there had me feeling both demoralized and infuriated at the same time. I'm genuinely happy to hear this.

[and-justice-for-all]

65. kick

[limpyhobbler]

66. oh my. Thank goodness. It's only fair.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

70. There's a conventional wisdom repeated in Washington...

....that NO Republican has won the Presidency without winning Ohio.

That's why cheating in Ohio is mandatory for the Republicans.

Expect to see things like a sobriety checkpoint set up on the only road that leads to the polling place in a black district.

Let's face it. Obama needs the Feds to oversee police operations statewide and if needed, to take command.

[Walk away]

71. Let's hope that those wonderful Democratic lawyers who volunteer every four years...

can go to Ohio and Florida again this year. They really are the front line in the war against election fraud and intimidation.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

72. They need a feed to report problems.

You know DAMN well the Republicans will jam a hotline so they need an alternate like Twitter.

[King_Klonopin]

73. Another activist judge deals a blow

to the real patriotic protectors of freedom --
all the conservatives across the country who think
it makes perfect sense to infringe upon the voting
of MILLIONS of citizens (the majority of whom,
coincidentally, tends to vote for Democrats) in order
to catch SEVEN possible "voter frauds" per year.

"Strain out the gnat; swallow the camel" --
a motto Republicans live by.

We call it lies and bullshit; they call it: "making a point."

[Chemisse]

74. One voter law down, a few more to go.

They are all blatantly designed to favor Republicans. I can't see how any judge could allow any of them to stand (and still consider him or herself to be unbiased, that is).

[sweetpea7788]

75. As a Dayton, Ohio native...

This is awesome!!! To see my little town brought to national attention on The Rachel Maddow Show for suppression of voters' rights and Jon Husted getting away with being an asshole was painful to watch. I plan on heading to our Democratic Headquarters downtown to watch the debates like I did in '04. Thank God for Jennifer Brunner and Fair Elections for Ohio!!

[Kolesar]

76. Ohio Atty General Mike Dewine is going to contest this

And take it to a higher court. What a shithead.

They wouldn't have to restrict voting if their ideas didn't suck.