Ohio Voters File Historic Lawsuit Against State

[salin]

Ohio Voters File Historic Lawsuit Against State Charging Unconstitutional Administration of Elections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2005

Josh Epstein
212-575-4545



Toledo, OH - Seeking to redress decades-old Constitutional defects in the way Ohio conducts federal elections, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, the League of Women Voters of Toledo-Lucas County, and more than a dozen Ohio citizens today filed a historic, non-partisan lawsuit against the State of Ohio.

The lawsuit alleges that Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, Governor Bob Taft, and their predecessors have failed to protect the fundamental rights of eligible Ohio voters to cast a meaningful ballot, as required by the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In addition, the complaint contends that Ohio has not met its obligations under the Help America Vote Act. The lawsuit does not challenge the results of any past elections, but instead seeks to bring about changes necessary to protect the rights of Ohio voters in future elections.

Filed in federal court in Toledo, the complaint chronicles deficiencies over more than three decades, including widespread problems with the voter registration system, the absentee and provisional ballot processes, the training of poll workers, the organization of polling places and precincts, and the allocation of voting machines. The lawsuit seeks to compel the state to uphold its constitutional obligation to provide for the voting-related needs of its citizens in time for the November 2006 general election. The relief sought would require the state to repair the problems at all stages of the electoral process that have disenfranchised and overly burdened Ohio voters and made the ability to vote and be counted vary widely from county to county.

more.....

http://www.civilrights.org/issues/voting/details.cfm?id=34487

[wli]

1. ugh, no criminal fraud charges?

This is nuts... these guys are just going to play lip service if they respond at all and get away with it all scot-free.

[salin]

2. Criminal charges - require prosecutors making a case - this is

a civil suit.

I was actually looking for something else when I ran across this press release. It doesn't focus on voting machines - but does hit hard on a lot of the screwed up conditions surrounding the elections in Ohio. THought this forum might find the suit interesting - and that those with more knowledge of action in Ohio might be able to give insight as to what this might mean.

[Fly by night]

3. At least three threads on this lawsuit here last week.

And the press release date should be July 28, not August 28. You won't have to go far back in the current 2004 ERD threads to find the previous threads and discussion. BTW, glad the LWV is doing this.

[salin]

4. thanks - I was actually trying to find the most recent

items on Taft and coingate (a boatload of papers were released either yesterday or today) - and this popped up.

I will try to go find some of those to read more informed folks views on this.

Thanks.

[renate]

5. I was away from the computer last week and missed this

so I'm really happy to read this. Thanks!