Overt Discrimination in Ohio-unfair early voting hours for Cuyahoga County

Rose Petsche August 16, 2012 at 10:57 am

I would agree with you, Tom, if Sunday was voting day. That way, most people would be able to make it to the polls in time and lines would be reasonable. As it currently stands, after working 8 - 10 hrs/day, many people struggle to get to the polls. I recall the long lines in 2008 where people stood for hours & hours in the rain because there weren't enough voting booths in urban precincts. Although, in my suburban precinct, we were able to just walk in and there was no wait. Clearly, there is a bias in the allocation of voting booths. If you live in urban areas it's harder to vote, if you live in comfortable suburban areas, it's a cake-walk. Of course, it take understanding to see the problems certain segments of our population face when trying to vote. Clearly, there is pattern of discrimination in closing early voting in urban areas. The voter ID laws that have swept the country are nothing more than a ploy to steal the presidency. http://www.brennancenter.org/content/section/category/voter_id/
I also don't get the hostility towards making it more convenient for all people to vote. It seems mean spirited to me. Also, I saw a representative of the Cuy Cty BOE speak and there is money set aside for early voting.

lyn August 16, 2012 at 11:21 am

How about, its not a political scheme. Election day has always been the same - leave it alone. If you have a problem getting there, vote absentee. As tom m. said, save the taxpayer money .

Ken Adams August 16, 2012 at 08:37 pm

hey rose, get in your car and pick everyone up so they can vote. Use your time, your gas your resources. I work a job with odd hours and often unexpected overtime. I believe people can use their bus passes, 250 free monthly minutes to call for a ride to get to a polling place. Im sure people can also take 5 minutes from hanging on a street corner or sittin watching the maury povich show to go vote. I'm surprised Obama hasn't instituted internet voting yet...At least not until they can figure out how to get everyone free computers with 250 free internet minutes.

tom m August 17, 2012 at 02:21 am

Rose but as you stated
" As it currently stands, after working 8 - 10 hrs/day, many people struggle to get to the polls" .....they can come in late or leave early to vote ....in ohio it is your right to be allowed to vote ...and as such you boss cannot prevent you from leaving early /arriving late to vote as stated in the ohio revised code ... http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3599.06

Stephen diLauro August 17, 2012 at 04:08 am

I have been a BOE judge (poll worker) for many years - - in urban and suburban locations, and assure all that each type location has adequate voting booths, machines and staff to accommodate every election-day voter. Yes, the BOE has funds available for early voting - - for the five weeks of Monday-Friday early voting, which begins Oct. 2 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the first three weeks; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the final two weeks) - - not for weekend (or extended evening) periods. This schedule has now been standardized for all 88 Ohio counties. Also, every registered voter in Ohio will be mailed an absentee ballot application, the first time ever that this has been done. All of this makes voting both easy and convenient. Finally, even though we poll workers enjoy seeing a strong turnout on election day, the more eligible voters who take advantage of absentee voting, the smoother that the voting process runs on election day (and the less likely that voters will have to wait long to cast their ballots). Voting truly is a right, not a privilege (which, by definition, means restricted to certain individuals), and I believe that a reasonable person will agree that the current process goes well beyond what is required to ensure ample opportunity for that right to be exercised.

Rose Petsche August 17, 2012 at 12:07 pm

I have also been a poll worker. With all due respect, aside from being in the room I'm not sure that gives anyone expertise enough to declare that everything is just find in our state with regard to voting. In 2000 & 2004 voting was a mess in Ohio and Fla. In 2004 urban areas in Ohio didn't have enough properly functioning voting machines to accommodate the number of people who wanted to vote. You may remember that it was pouring rain in Cuyahoga Cty and people stood in lines for 8 + hrs to vote. Many gave up. They didn't have the time to stand around. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/opinion/26tue4.html Also, in Fla, lines stretched around the corner and took hours for people to vote. Look it up. Why close the polls the weekend before the election? What is the rationale? I might point out that the expansion in absentee voting hours happened as a result of the prior 2 elections being chaotic. To their credit, It was the republicans who instituted the changes. What happened when voting was expanded? President Obama won. Ohio is a purple state. What you see now is early voting being restricted, a redistricting plan that has been called out as highly partisan. Voter ID requirements that will suppress minority, elderly, latino & young voters have been instituted in swing states. http://www.brennancenter.org/content/section/category/voter_id/

Rose Petsche August 17, 2012 at 12:10 pm

I'm just sayin....there is no reason to clamp down on early voting hours, ask people for Voter ID & purge voter rolls. These are all obvious attempts to restrict the vote. Shouldn't we all be concerned? What happens when huge corporations & billionaires have bought our government as a result of picking who wins? That's what's happening now folks. We all suffer when our voice is silenced for good. Our vote will not be worth the paper it's printed on. The way to fix this problem is to push our congress to have a 28th amendment which will say: "Corporations are not people" and "money is not speech". The bottom line here is that our elections, this cycle, are being rigged. movetoamend.org

lyn August 17, 2012 at 12:18 pm

What is so hard about the process - simple form to register and show ID to prove you are the person voting. Election Day had always been ONE day. Get there, vote. If you can't or don't want to, absentee.
Why spend extra monies for workers to be at other polling times and why a mass mailing to people of absentee ballots if not requested? More waste of monies. It is a very simple process. Just follow it and quit trying to make it a political issue.

Rose Petsche August 17, 2012 at 12:47 pm

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/section/category/voter_id/

UH Resident August 17, 2012 at 12:53 pm

I won't be satisfied until every adult citizen is implemented with a microchip in their brain that allows for instantaneous and easy voting. The vote would be recorded digitally and sent via a cloud network. Blink once for the incumbent, blink twice for the challenger. Bam, problem solved!

lyn August 17, 2012 at 12:55 pm

But then some people would say that discourages those who are "blinking challenged" from voting.

lyn August 17, 2012 at 12:57 pm

And, what if they winked instead of blinked?

Matt Kopack August 17, 2012 at 01:32 pm

There must be a better and cheaper way. With most of America having access to a computer, we should be able to vote from home or a library. This would save millions of tax dollars if they can find a way to prevent voter fraud.

Alex Vandehoff August 17, 2012 at 02:08 pm

The issue is about consistency from election to election and from county to county. Obviously the law is written in such a way that the times can be changed at the whim of those in charge. That just opens things up to abuse from whoever happens to be able to make the decisions.
Early, absentee, 12 hours, 24 hours...it doesn't matter! Make it the same everywhere and then no one can complain. It's not that hard.....

Bonnie Dolezal August 17, 2012 at 02:34 pm

Rose, If you work 8-10 hour days why don't you just vote absentee? All registered voters will be sent an absentee ballot application. Easy! I think it is pretty easy to vote. As to the issue of stealing elections, maybe you haven't heard about Al Franken in Minn. or Acorn to name a few. I think it's your side that is stealing elections. Please post one example of a Republican race won illegally. Learn the facts before you voice an opinion

Bonnie Dolezal August 17, 2012 at 02:40 pm

Voting has never been easier. Absentee ballot applications will be sent to all registered voters in Ohio. Anyone can watch their simple minded t.v. shows and not leave their chair and still vote. As to the three day window before the election.. let the BOE's get ready for Tues. If you cannot or are too stupid to use the above method then you still have 35 days to vote at the BOE!! You leftists would have your dogs vote if you could and may have!

Ken Adams August 17, 2012 at 04:37 pm

Hey rose you mention billionaires and corporations have bought the election. What about this current administration buying votes with all the free stuff they give out. Again I mention the phones with 250 free minutes a month citing the need to have a phone for emergencies. Yet all the phones have texting and other perks. When all you need is an inactive phone which allows you to dial 911. Its gotten to the point where you make moreoney staying on unemployment for 99 weeks. Also last time I checked you needed an id to get your welfare benefits.

Ken Adams August 17, 2012 at 04:42 pm

And check your cell phone bill. the universal connect fee is our paying for the free phones. And it is allowing people to get 20-30 cell phones which are then being given to drug dealers. So basically Obama is supporting drug dealers as is every person paying their cell phone.

tom m August 19, 2012 at 02:09 pm

Rose great link .....But George Soros's Open Society Foundations gave the Brennan Center for Justice $7,466,000 from 2000 to 2010 not to mention that the president of the Brennen center is Michael Waldman who was Clintons speech writer...... not to mention was a regular on NPR .......not a very fair and unbiased link

Lynda Zielinski August 20, 2012 at 12:41 pm

Thanks Rose for this post. Because of people like you Husted finally did the right thing and Democracy wins the day.

Brian Andrews August 22, 2012 at 01:56 am

Rose for what it is worth I was a poll watcher at a location in East Cleveland - (urban / densely populated enough for you?) in 2008. Traffic was steady in the morning and after 4pm. Dead during midday. Wait never exceeded 5-10 minutes. Given that we are now mailing almost every voter a ballot, shouldn't the need for in person voting be less necessary?

TaterSalad August 26, 2012 at 03:36 pm

Can someone please tell me why Oiho (Obama's new spelling of our state) citizens continue to support and vote for Sen. Sherrod Brown-nose and Barack Obama. They have the same ideology and are driving Ohio business's to Indiana and other states. Evidently these citizens place the Democratic Party before there families and jobs! Sad..............and true!
http://weaselzippers.us/2012/08/26/ohio-columbus-dispatch-poll-dead-even-for-president-and-senate/

Lynda Zielinski August 26, 2012 at 04:23 pm

Dear Tater, or is it Mr. Salad? Anyway, congratulations! Whenever I hear or read lies about Sen Brown I am in the habit of contributing $25 to his campaign. In your case, 'brown-nose' plus 'driving businesses to Indiana', garnered $50 for the Senator.

Adele Eisner August 26, 2012 at 04:41 pm

Here are three ways to take action to restore weekend voting to better allow everyone's voice to count:
1. CONTACT THE SECRETARY OF STATE: Urge the Secretary of State to change his directive and allow weekend voting. For the first time since early voting was permitted in Ohio, the Secretary of State has outlawed early voting on weekends. Let the Secretary know that voting should be easy and convenient for all. Call the Secretary of State today - (614) 466-2655 2. CONTACT YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Urge your County Commissioners to pass a resolution in support of weekend voting. Ask them to follow the lead of Commissioners in Mahoning County and pass a resolution allowing the county building that houses the board of elections to be open on weekends. Call your County Commissioners today. Don’t know your Commissioners’ number? Look up your County Commissioners’ names and their contact information here - http://bit.ly/TWRDkH 3. CONTACT YOUR BOARD OF ELECTIONS: Urge your Board of Elections to pass a resolution in support of weekend voting and call on the Ohio Secretary of State to change voting hours to include weekend hours. Call or email your Board of Elections today. Don’t know the Board of Elections’ number or email? Look up your Board of Elections here - http://bit.ly/Oyp2A7

Garry Kanter August 26, 2012 at 04:46 pm

Great post!!!
Imho, disenfranchising voters is a treasonous offense.

lyn August 26, 2012 at 06:08 pm

How about having Election Day being the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. It worked for over 150 years.
Are you working from poll opening to close? You can't use work as an excuse, because you just need to tell them you need time off to vote. If you don't want to vote then, vote absentee. No one is or has been denied their right to vote. Its just a matter of getting off your lazy butts and getting there to do it on Election Day. Why should the taxpayers have to pay for election workers to be there at other times other than the true Election Day. And why should the taxpayers pay to mail absentee ballots or applications to people who did not request them. These are all a waste of my money. We all knew when Election Day use to be. Why do we need Election Days?

Tim Torrence August 26, 2012 at 07:51 pm

Incorrect by all measures. Voting is not a right it is a privilege. A right cannot be taken away without due process and is applied evenly across all people. A privilege can be legislated away by popular vote or a legislative act and is applied to those who meet the requirements.

The original Bill August 26, 2012 at 08:10 pm

Hey Ken; It might interest you to know the free cell phone program was started in August and September 2008 after being authorized by President Bush. Kinda hard to blame Obama since the election hadn't even been held yet. Plus the FCC program that started it was signed into law by Ronald Reagan. But go ahead and blame Obama. It just shows your ignorance

James Murphy August 26, 2012 at 09:25 pm

as posted earlier >>>>>>there is no excuse why someone cannot get to their voting booth in the 12 hours the polls are open to vote ......
I had to work is not an excuse in ohio http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3599.06

lyn August 26, 2012 at 10:13 pm

I think all this discussion about voting during weekend hours and evening hours is a complete waste of time. Just roll back the rules to what they were and what they always had been - voting in person ONLY on Election Day, after all, that is what it is called. Otherwise, a person should apply for an absentee ballot and vote that way. No one is or was ever harmed by the old method, despite what some want to argue about lazy people or someone who doesn't want to be inconvenienced by voting on that particular day. Everyone eligible has an equal chance to vote in person by law. And the taxpayers are saved dollars and we vote on the day we were meant to vote.
Quit making everything political or one party against another.