COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld an Ohio law that trims a week of early voting in the swing state, reversing a judge’s decision that had restored the time.
Democrats had challenged a series of Republican-backed changes they claimed disproportionately burdened black voters and those who lean Democratic. Among the policies was the elimination of a week of early voting in which Ohioans could also register to vote, known as golden week.
The state’s attorneys argued that scrapping the days helped alleviate administrative burdens for local elections officials while reducing costs and the potential of fraud. But plaintiffs, who include the state’s Democratic Party, said the burden on voters outweighed any benefit to the state.
In a 2-1 decision, a panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled the golden-week cut still allows for “abundant” opportunities to vote within a 29-day window. Prior to the law, Ohioans had a 35-day period.
Early voting in Ohio is now set to begin Oct. 12.
“Nearly a third of the states offer no early voting,” the appeals court said. “Adopting plaintiffs’ theory of disenfranchisement would create a ‘one-way ratchet’ that would discourage states from ever increasing early voting opportunities, lest they be prohibited by federal courts from later modifying their election procedures in response to changing circumstances.”
The ruling comes after the state appealed a decision by U.S. District Judge Michael Watson in May. He sided with Democrats on their golden-week claim, finding that the cut violates the Voting Rights Act and voters’ equal protection rights.
Watson had said evidence presented in the case reflected that black voters use same-day voter registration and early voting options at higher rates than whites. While the court can’t predict how African-Americans will turn out in future elections, he said, “It is reasonable to conclude from this evidence that their right to vote will be modestly burdened” by the law.
More than 60,000 people voted during golden week in 2008, while over 80,000 cast ballots during the period in 2012, Watson had noted.
The appeals court reversed Watson’s decision.
The 6th Circuit said that in evaluating the law’s burden, “We find that elimination of Golden Week is a small part of what remains, objectively viewed, a generous early voting schedule.”
Judge David McKeague wrote the opinion, joined by Judge Richard Allen Griffin. Both were appointed by Republican President George W. Bush.
Judge Jane Branstetter Stranch disagreed. She was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama.
“The charge that this appeal_and apparently many others_intrude upon the right of the states to run their own election process is both unfounded and antiquated,” Stranch wrote in her dissent.
In a statement, Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted welcomed the decision and called on Democrats to “end their wasteful lawsuits so we can all move forward with this election.”
The Democrats didn’t have an immediate comment. Their options include asking the appeals court to reconsider or appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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In a state that’s seen so many examples of voter disenfranchisement through various GOP-instigated mechanisms you’d think the court would use a little common sense. I guess the message here is that making voting convenient, thus encouraging broader participation, is a bad thing. Especially for Rethugliklans.
But how will Donnie Drumpf get 95% of the Ohio black vote now?
Someone at the GOP goofed big-time…
You can tell from the decision by these two Bush appointed judges that the overturned decision was clearly a partisan attempt to revert back to the preferred voter suppression tactics the GOP has been trying to use all along. No two ways about it. So…if this is an example of providing more faith in the judiciary regarding voter rights, they failed mightily. More people voting is always better than less…but if Dems prefer early voting, Republican appointed judges will all too often try to knock that down in a heartbeat.
Here’s a list and graph of voter laws and timetables for absentee and early voting. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been updated since May 2016. It does mention the change in N.C. but not the one in Wisconsin. If anyone has a better site that’s up-to-date, post it as it might help people know what their respective state sets down as the law at this time. In Michigan, we have absolutely no early voting, and you also have to have a excuse from a prescribed list of exemptions to vote absentee as well…something most States don’t require.
http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/absentee-and-early-voting.aspx
I like the logic that the longer you get away with violating the constitution, the more acceptable it is.
Not to sound critical of voters in Ohio but you still have 29 days of early voting so stop your whining and just freakin vote…good lord if you cant find the time in 29 days another seven isnt going to help.