When elections are fair, the PEOPLE win. - OCSEA

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Voter Suppression: Alive and Well in OhiO If you’re confused about early voting, you’re not alone. The same politicians who wanted to eliminate your voice on the job last year with Senate Bill 5, now want to eliminate your voice at the ballot box. An unprecedented attempt to try to suppress Ohioans’ vote has left the decision about when you can vote early tangled up in the court system. This has left many voters wondering when – or if – they’ll be able to get to the polls this year. Ohio Secretary of State (SOS) Jon Husted, who ruled to limit early voting hours and completely eliminate them on the weekends, has been behind much of the shenanigans. He’s the one behind: • The firing of two Montgomery County Board of Elections members for voting to allow weekend early voting in their county. • Trying to deny Ohioans the right to vote the last three days before the election – even after a judge ruled otherwise. What we know as of this writing is that Ohioans likely will be able to vote the last three days before the election, thanks to a federal judge who intervened in Ohio. County boards of elections are right now figuring out their early voting hours for those three days. However, that still makes the rest of weekend in-person early voting through October off limits. And guess who that affects the most? Working people! “Not only are they trying to put the genie back in the bottle by limiting early voting, they are specifically targeting working people who are on the job during regular business hours and depend on weekend and Voter Suppression Timeline in-person voting became widely-used in 2008 and immediately alleviated the problem of long poll lines in Ohio’s urban precincts. To make sense of how we got here and who’s responsible, we’ve created the Voter Suppression Timeline. E arly, evening voting hours,” said OCSEA President Christopher Mabe. “This is the sign of desperation. If you can’t win an election with your good policies, you’ll try to steal it with dirty politics,” said Mabe. To combat voter suppression, OCSEA is supporting a “Souls to the Polls” program, Sleep Out the Vote events and Movement Building Trainings. Call Lori Elmore at 800-266- 5615, ext. 4722. TIMELINE: How they are trying to take away your vote 2000-2004 In 2004, lines are so long at some precincts in Ohio (think Cleveland, East side Columbus), polls have to stay open for hours after official closing time. Some voters get frustrated and leave before casting their vote. 2007 Ohio Secy. of State Jennifer Brunner allows Ohioans to register and cast an early vote during “golden week.” 2008 Early in-person voting used by large numbers of Ohioans and seen as huge success. African Americans, in particular, use weekend, in-person voting, and pastors organize “souls to the polls” the Sunday before Election Day. 12 Public Employee Quarterly Fall 2012
2011 Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly limit early voting by passing House Bill 194, which eliminates early voting on the weekends. Later, after a successful signature drive is held to put a referendum against HB 194 on the ballot, the Republicans pass another bill to try to repeal it themselves, for fear the ballot initiative would energize Democrats. AuG. 15, 2012 SOS John Husted sends out a directive ordering Ohio Boards of Elections to limit voting hours, excluding evening hours and eliminating weekend early voting. AUG. 28, 2012 SOS Husted fires two Montgomery County elections officials, Tom Ritchie, Sr. and Dennis Lieberman, for voting to extend early voting on weekends in their county. SEPT. 12, 2012 A federal judge denies SOS Husted’s request to keep counties from setting voting times the final three days before election. AUG. 31, 2012 A federal judge orders SOS Husted to open the polls for early voting the last three days before the election. In 2008, 93,000 Ohioans cast their ballots during this period. NOW! Ohio County Boards of Elections are working on determining early voting hours for the last three days before Election Day. SOS Husted has appealed twice to restrict these voting hours. Vote now while you still have the chance! Fall 2012 Public Employee Quarterly 13
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When elections are fair, the PEOPLE win. - OCSEA

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