] Voters-rights advocates are criticizing two recent ] decisions by Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell ] that they say will unfairly limit some people's ability ] to vote Nov. 2. Blackwell's office has told county boards ] of elections to follow strictly two provisions in Ohio ] election law: ] ] ] * One requires Ohio voter registration cards be ] printed on thick, 80-pound stock paper. ] ] * The other ordered boards to strictly interpret the ] rules regarding provisional ballots, the ones cast by ] voters who move before the election but are still ] registered in Ohio. ] ] ] The paper-stock issue is frustrating Montgomery County ] Board of Elections officials, who have a backlog of ] registrations to complete. If they get an Ohio voter ] registration card on paper thinner than required, they ] are mailing a new card out to the voter. But if they ] still have the backlog by the registration deadline, Oct. ] 4, voters will not have another chance to get their ] correct paperwork in, said Steve Harsman, deputy director ] of the Montgomery County board. In Montgomery County ] there is a backlog of around 4,000 registrations, Harsman ] said. A few hundred could be affected by this provision, ] he said. [ I won't go so far as to say it's partisan or conspiratorial without knowing a lot more, but it is complete bullshit. Since when is the state's interest in having a particular weight of paper for a document (regardless of the motivation behind such a rule) greater than the right to vote? Gimme a break. -k] MyDD :: Holy Fucking Jim Crow |