Ohio, More Voting Hours for Republican Counties, Less for Democratic Counties

In the red states where Republicans are implementing onerous new voting requirements, they at least have the decency to affect a reason. While it is proven their "reason" -- voter fraud -- is not a problem (PA republican officials even admitted it in court) and we all know the truth is it is an attempt to reduce democratic votes, at least they claim a reason. [NOTE: In fact, I believe the only pending voting fraud cases in the country right now are against four Republicans in Michigan (Thaddeus McCotter supporters who, by the way, are being prosecuted by the Republican governor so don't call it a left wing witch hunt).]

However, now the Right has become so brazen they are becoming blatant about their assault on the Constitution's most central right -- the right to vote. This year in Ohio, when it came time to set voting hours in the various counties, Democrat officials (who always favor easier voting for everyone) voted for more early voting, evening voting hours, etc. Democrats voted for this EVEN in heavily Republican voting counties, offering clear proof that Democrats respect and honor the importance that all votes be counted. In those same Republican counties, the Republican officials agreed with the Democrats and the measure for more and earlier voting hours were approved and adopted.

But then something very different in Democratic counties happened. In these counties, while all the Dems once again pushed for more hours (as they did in Republican counties), the Republicans voted for LESS early voting and NO special evening hours in a blatant attempt to limit opportunities for Democrat-leaning voters to exercise their rights. In many of these counties, the election boards were split down the middle in a tie between rejection of more hours and restrictive hours.

What happens in a tie? The Ohio Secretary of State gets to cast the deciding vote in every county for which there is a tie. The Ohio Secretary of State is a Republican named Jon Husted. In every case where he broke the tie, he sided with the Right to restrict hours.

The result is, that if you are an Ohioan, if you live in a right-leaning county, you have extra days and night hours to vote. If you live in a democratic-leaning county, you have less early voting days and more restrictive hours to exercise your rights.

Husted is claiming that the dem-leaning counties don't have the money to support extra days and hours, so that justifies their having less voting opportunities. Yet somehow the Right in OH found millions of dollars, like 18 other Right-controlled states in budget crunches, to pass restrictive voting rules.

This bald-faced, blatant attempt to block democratic votes will be challenged in court under the equal protection clause. You simply can't have counties with voting hours less for left-leaning counties and more for right-leaning counties.

Of course, this is the same state where left-leaning districts typically are given much fewer voting precincts and less voting machines, resulting in lines taking as long as 6 hours to vote in dem-leaning areas while right-leaning areas could breeze through in their districts.

Where's the proof? www.thenation.com...#

(I)n heavily Democratic cities like Cleveland, Columbus, Akron and Toledo, early voting hours will be limited to 8 am until 5 pm on weekdays beginning on October 1, with no voting at night or during the weekend, when it’s most convenient for working people to vote. Republican election commissioners have blocked Democratic efforts to expand early voting hours in these counties, where the board of elections are split equally between Democratic and Republican members. Ohio Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted has broken the tie by intervening on behalf of his fellow Republicans. (According to the Board of Elections, 82% of early voters in Franklin County voted early on nights or weekends, which Republicans have curtailed. The number who voted on nights or weekends was nearly 50% in Cuyahoga County.)

"I cannot create unequal access from one county board to another, and I must also keep in mind resources available to each county,” Husted said in explaining his decision to deny expanded early voting hours in heavily Democratic counties. Yet in solidly Republican counties like Warren and Butler, GOP election commissioners have approved expanded early voting hours on nights and weekends. Noted the Cincinnati Enquirer: “The counties where Husted has joined other Republicans to deny expanded early voting strongly backed then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008, while most of those where the extra hours will stand heavily supported GOP nominee John McCain.” Moreover, budget constraints have not stopped Republican legislators from passing costly voter ID laws across the map since 2010.

The cutbacks in early voting in Ohio are part of a broader push by Republicans to restrict the right to vote for millions of Americans, particularly those who voted for Obama. “The Republicans remember those long lines outside board of elections last time in the evenings and on weekends,” Tim Burke, Democratic Party chairman in Cincinnati’s Hamilton County, told the Enquirer. “The lines were overwhelmingly African-American, and it’s pretty obvious that the people were predominately—very predominately Obama voters. The Republicans don’t want that to happen again. It’s that simple.”

I believe this year has made it crystal clear that the Right does not respect or honor the Constitution, except when it suits them. Voting rights are the most central of all civic rights, to deny them is a frontal assault on the Constitution. Independents like me knew this in our guts already, because we have been watching over the years the Right slowly take over a once honorable party. I'd like to ask ATS right wingers if they can in good conscience defend this actions. I'd also like to ask if you think this action is consistent with the both the spirit and the letter of the Constitution you claim to revere. I see no plausible defense and I find it vulgar, like spitting on the Flag.

I suspect there will be some of you who may even laugh and think this is funny. To you I say you are an insult to the spilled blood of every man and woman who has died to preserve the Nation and you should be deeply ashamed.

Pretty stunning to me that no one really wants to confront hypocrisy when it is most obviously placed in front of them. Everyone rails about conspiracy, but when something real is laid out before us we look the other way. I guess it is just not as fun a conspiracy that cannot be proved.

Look the other way, nothing to see here.

The GOP is trying to steal Ohio (again). It's crystal clear. What the people do about it will be interesting. It's too bad they're willing to lie, cheat and steal to get what they want... It's doesn't bode well for a Romney presidency.

Interesting Times...

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Do you notice the right side of ATS not willing to touch this topic with a ten foot pole? They know there is no plausible defense, not even a weak one they can pretend.

For all you on the right -- the actions of the OH Republicans are an EXACT reflection upon your character if you do not call it out. THIS is who you are, what you party is today. You forever lose all right to claim love, respect and honor of the Constitution if you fail to call this out. If you do not call this out, you are saying clearly to all that you care not ONE bit for the nation, but rather ONLY for your party. If you do not call this out, you are spitting on the graves of the war dead everywhere. If you do not call this out, you are openly mocking the Founders.

Be good and decent and honorable or prove yourselves unworthy to be called an American.

I am still waiting for someone on the right to defend this. Your silence speaks volumes.

Originally posted by pajoly
reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

 

Do you notice the right side of ATS not willing to touch this topic with a ten foot pole? They know there is no plausible defense, not even a weak one they can pretend.

For all you on the right -- the actions of the OH Republicans are an EXACT reflection upon your character if you do not call it out. THIS is who you are, what you party is today. You forever lose all right to claim love, respect and honor of the Constitution if you fail to call this out. If you do not call this out, you are saying clearly to all that you care not ONE bit for the nation, but rather ONLY for your party. If you do not call this out, you are spitting on the graves of the war dead everywhere. If you do not call this out, you are openly mocking the Founders.

Be good and decent and honorable or prove yourselves unworthy to be called an American.

edit on 10-8-2012 by pajoly because: (no reason given)

What are you talking about, see the thread that was made before yours about this very issue. I don't know about others, but stop being a pathological liar. How about you be "good, decent and honorable American", oww wait you follow "Rules for Radical's".

People like you are the reason why partisan levels are higher then before the last civil war. People aren't perfect, but you try to hold your enemy to the highest standard they have just to watch them fall. So you can push your way, your ideology like a rapist would push themselves onto a helpless person. If there is another civil war, people like you will be to blame.

----
you use just the right words to emotionally attack your enemy like a textbook psychopath. I can easily imagine you giddy as glee typing away your garbage, thinking you made another "score".
www.cassiopaea.com...
www.psychologytoday.com...

Granted I have little room to talk; given how prone I am to being an abrasive, often ruthless jerk, but if you want to say something, say something directly and stop using manipulative language.

reply to post by korathin


I'm an independent. Unlike partisans on either side I value honor and honesty. I'll defend the right of all to their position and right to vote regardless of whether I'd agree with them or note. The enemies you cite are those who will actively work to limit the rights of others to exercise this basic right.

Yes, if there is a civil war, count me on the side of the honorable and the live and let live, not the cheating liars who pretend to love the Constitution and they actively work to restrict others' rights.

I see no other thread on this, nor have a seen ANY member on the Right call out this as a blatant attack on voting rights.

reply to post by korathin


My apologies. I found the other thread. Mods, please kill this one.

reply to post by pajoly


Shouldn't be an issue, most early voting is heavily Democrat and later afternoon/evening voting is heavy Republican.

ETA: This is all new to me so after researching this Ohio didn't limit the voting times of any counties on election day (Tuesday), what they did was cancel early voting for ALL people on the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before election day. And even there is a loophole for that. People can still get an absentee vote cast long before election day. Non issue, they just canceled "early voting" for all Ohioans except oversea military personnel.

Posted earlier here:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Please add further comments to the ongoing discussion in the above linked thread.
Thanks

**Thread Closed**


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