"Enter at your own risk" (Voting in Ohio)

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Friday October 01, 2004 · 6:00 AM PDT

2004/10/01 · 06:00

This is the cover story of this week's edition of The Other Paper, Columbus, Ohio's alternative news weekly.

Back in the good old days of Ohio elections, a period historians call the 20th century, there wasn't much to casting your vote. A short wait in line, a little chat with the old-as-hell poll worker, a trip behind the magic curtain, and you were on your way.

Scholars can debate how much Florida's 2000 election debacle changed America. But there's no doubt it will change a lot of Ohioans' trips to the polls on Nov. 2.

You can't swing an unmarked absentee ballot without hitting someone hinting darkly that our Election Day will fall somewhere between complicated and disastrous. How? Let us count the ways.

Outside the polls you may notice more people than usual milling about. That's because a labor-union led effort is under way to put "election protection" monitors outside polling locations in Columbus and other Ohio cities.

Plus, international election monitors--that's right, Jimmy Carters from other countries, keeping an eye on us--are likely headed to Columbus.

But the observe-a-thon outside is nothing compared to what may be going on inside. It remains to be seen how special provisional ballots will be handled by poll workers; Ohio Democrats are suing Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell in federal court over his plans for handling them.

By the way, for anyone who doesn't know this, word is that Kenneth Blackwell has his eye on the governor's mansion.

For years, an obscure provision in Ohio election law has lain dormant. It allows a political party--or a group of five or more candidates--to appoint a designated challenger at each polling place.

This year, both parties have indicated they will designate "thousands of challengers to represent their agendas in high-traffic polling locations," said Carlo LoParo, spokesman for Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.

Under Ohio law, a designated poll challenger may challenge any voter on three different grounds: age (you must be 18 by Election Day), residency (you must have lived at your current address for 30 days and live in the precinct) or citizenship (you must be a U.S. citizen).

If a voter is challenged, the law requires the presiding judge at the polling place to put the voter under oath and ask a series of specified, direct questions. For example, someone whose citizenship is questioned will be asked three questions: Are you a citizen of the United States? Are you a native or naturalized citizen? Where were you born?

If the voter answers the questions satisfactorily, he or she is allowed to vote.
...
Is Ken Blackwell defending the law or trying to annoy and discourage Democratic voters? Depends who you ask.

"It's like the old Dean Smith four-corners offense," said Dan Trevas, spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party.

He believes Blackwell's interpretation of the provisional-ballot rule--which covers people who may be voting in the wrong precinct--is akin to the run-out-the-clock strategy perfected by the former North Carolina hoops coach.

While poll workers sort out where provisional voters should be or inform them they need to head downtown to the board of elections to vote, the clock would be ticking.

"The problem is when you start having disputes," said Trevas. "The line starts to back up. Everybody is waiting and starting to look at their watch and thinking, 'Do I have time for all of this or do I have to get back to work?'"

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