#john husted

U.S. District Court Judge Peter C. Economus ruled on Sept. 4 that the restriction of early-voting violated the Voting Rights Act and ordered the restoration of those early-voting days. Section two of the VRA (which Economus used to legitimize his position) is concerned with prohibiting discrimination as it pertains to race, ethnicity or membership within a minority group.

Senate Bill 238 was discriminatory in that it aimed to cut voting hours. Why is this discriminatory? Because Republicans, who control the Ohio General Assembly, fully realize that more hours mean more opportunities for urban voters who tend to lean Democratic. Cutting hours limits accessibility for working class voters.

The Supreme Court followed with a 5-4 decision that stayed the lower court’s decision, which means that early-voting will begin on Oct. 7 instead of Sept. 30. The four consistent SCOTUS conservatives (and Anthony Kennedy) provided the majority opinion to stay the lower courts’ decision, which results directly in the limiting of the early-voting period.

As noted in a Huffington Post article by Samantha Lachman,  “Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) and Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) had asked the court, in an emergency appeal, to reverse or delay a federal appeals courtruling last week that restored the so-called ‘Golden Week,’ when voters could register and cast a ballot at the same time.”

“On behalf” of Ohioans, Husted and the AG office appealed the decision to a three-judge panel of the Federal 6th Circuit Court of Appeals who have since refused to hear the case.

Husted, Attorney General Mike DeWine and Governor John Kasich are all in this together. They are also all up for re-election in November. Nina Turner, David Pepper, and Ed FitzGerald, the floor is yours on this farce. Use these undemocratic restrictions to your advantage for your campaigns.