OH: New Groups Challenge Blackwell & Sue Over Ohio Exit Polling Directive

[kpete]

News groups sue over Ohio exit polling directive
Associated Press
Tuesday, October 24, 2006 12:28 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A coalition of national news organizations has challenged Secretary of State Ken Blackwell in court over his revised directive allowing exit polling within 100 feet of a voting place.

A lawsuit brought by five television networks — ABC, CNN, CBS, Fox News and NBC — and The Associated Press asks U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson to move immediately to force Blackwell to clear up confusion over their legal rights to interview voters as they leave polls Nov. 7.

“The October 13 directive is, in a word, an outrage,” the lawsuit filed Monday states. “In the face of this Court's decree that ?Ohio's loitering statutes … cannot be interpreted to prohibit exit polls within the 100 foot designated area around polling places without violating the United States Constitution,' the secretary has told Ohio election officials that they can be.”

Watson ordered the new directive Sept. 26 when he struck down a 2004 Blackwell order against exit polling within 100 feet of a voting place. The judge called the restriction a violation of the freedom of the press contained in the First Amendment.

Watson had issued a temporary order in 2004 that allowed the news organizations to conduct exit polls that year.

more at:
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/linkframe.php?opedpg=http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?jrl=488191&story=221787&rfr=nwsl&clk=49826&opedid=24825

[bullimiami]

1. florida just lost a similar suit today.

[bleever]

2. Holy freakin' me-my-moley: six media firms want to exit poll??

And Kenny says no?

Many interesting angles here.

May the media turn into a many-headed Gladys Kravitz, because something's not right on Morninglory Circle.


:thumbsup:

[bleever]

3. It would appear that I've already recommended this thread.

At least, that what the "machine" says.

;)

[autorank]

4. I did it for you...

What a riot...

[flyarm]

5. ACTUALLY WE WON THIS IN FLORIDA TODAY!!

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/judge-throws-out-fla-exit-poll-limit/n20061024164909990002
Updated:2006-10-24 16:49:02

Judge Throws Out Fla. Exit Poll Limit
AP
MIAMI (AP) - A federal judge on Tuesday threw out a Florida law that prohibits exit polling within 100 feet of a voting place, finding there was no evidence that such surveys were disruptive or threatened access to voting.

U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck said the law was unconstitutional and ordered state officials not to enforce it in the Nov. 7 election. He left intact the 100-foot limit for other activities such as distributing campaign material or peddling.

The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by The Associated Press and five television networks that want to conduct exit polls at about 40 Florida precincts next month.

The 2005 law, the judge concluded, violates the First Amendment's free speech and freedom of the press protections because it "impermissibly proscribes constitutionally protected exit polling." The judge also said the law was too broad.


IT WAS EVEN IN THE BRITISH GUARDIAN...


http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6168672,00.html

Judge Throws Out Fla. Exit Poll Limit

Tuesday October 24, 2006 9:46 PM


By CURT ANDERSON


``The state has an interest in protecting the orderly administration of elections and the election process, in increasing voter participation, and in providing easy access to the polls,'' Huck wrote. The law ``does not properly address those concerns, however.''

The AP and five networks - CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and Fox -have jointly conducted exit polls during numerous elections, using the results to project winners in key races as well as analyze political and social trends.

[tblue]

6. I never thought I could detest anyone more than Katherine Harris

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Will Blackwell serve jail time?

He does seem to play over the edge and he's going to get caught because there is just so much scrutiny in Ohio right now.