What is going on in Ohio one week before Election Day? This headline from the
Cleveland Plain Dealer sums it up: Voter ID Rules Change a Third Time in Four Days...
Ohio has a new law requiring voters to show identification at the polls. Not only are the types of ID in question, but it's further complicated by the fact that ID requirements differ county-by-county ...and there are different ID requirements if you vote absentee than if you were to vote in person on Election Day. And the final straw...if you don't have the right ID, you can't vote at all.
Republicans call this "Election Reform"...but you to and me and millions of Americans, this smells of deliberate voter confusion and voter suppression.
We did away with the poll tax long ago because it was so obviously discriminatory... but it seems as if the Republicans have figured out that an ID requirement is a perfect replacement... it sounds reasonable, but it effectively takes the right to vote away from many Americans.
Who is least likely to have official Ohio-approved ID?... the elderly, the poor, and students. Who is least likely to vote Republican?... the elderly, the poor, and students. It's that simple.
OVEST, the Ohio Democratic Party's Voter Protection team, has helped fight this ID scheme. Last week a federal judge temporarily suspended the ID rules because he found that the ID requirements were being imposed unfairly. But now Republican-appointed appeals court judges have put the rules back in place. These court battles will undoubtedly continue...all the way up until Election Day.
And I predict that his fight will most likely continue long after Election Day. It is already being reported that in Franklin County (Columbus), election officials confirm that thousands of absentee ballots have already been submitted with ID problems.
What can we do to help? Last week I asked you to join me in supporting OVEST. And, thank you, many of you did...but the problems just seem to be getting worse, and therefore more expensive to fight. Your continued support is crucial.
Secondly, if you are registered to vote in Ohio, please volunteer as a Poll Observer on Election Day. Poll Observers watch the process from inside a polling place - and are crucial in helping the OVEST legal team know what's going on where it matters most on Election Day.
Finally,if you are an Ohio voter and experience any problems on Election Day, don't hesitate to call for help at 1-888-DEM-VOTE.
OVEST needs our help, our vigilance, and our determination not to surrender to Republican efforts to suppress the vote. Please help. Thank you.