Ohio Election Activists Say Voters Fed Up

[Eugene]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5201388,00.html

Ohio Election Activists Say Voters Fed Up


Wednesday August 10, 2005 3:31 AM

By JOHN McCARTHY

Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Backers of three ballot issues to dramatically
change Ohio elections said Tuesday that they are confident that voters
are so sick of politics-as-usual that they will support the changes on
Nov. 8.

Reform Ohio Now, a coalition of labor unions and Democrat-leaning
activists, on Tuesday filed petitions with 521,000 signatures for each
of three issues with Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, Ohio's
chief elections official.

The group cleared its first hurdle on Tuesday when the Ohio Supreme
Court unanimously dismissed a lawsuit seeking to keep the issues off
the ballot.

One of the ballot issues would change the way congressional and
legislative districts are drawn, another would create a state
elections board and the third would lower the individual limit on
campaign contributions.

Backers say Ohioans need to take more control of their elections
because of the current investment scandal involving majority
Republicans at the Statehouse and an elections system they see as
flawed.

more...

[blue neen]

1. I hope that R.O.N. has success with this.

I know an activist in Cincinnati who has been working diligently for these reforms.

[Son of California]

2. but are they going to push to switch to paper ballots?

that seems like the next step right?
I mean, even Republican voters would support that.

[TexasLawyer]

6. They use paper ballots now

They just have an extremely effective partisan machine that prevents recounts by ignoring Ohio law regarding random sampling of precincts, and by suing and trying to disbar anyone who crosses paths with Kenneth Blackwell.

[ray of light]

3. THe power will still need to be retrieved. We must get on the state elect

election boards.

[TheFarseer]

4. Yes

STOP gerrymandering now! It's a disgusting practice. Remember - no Diebold machines were used in the Hackett/Schmidt race. We can blame gerrymandering for that. We can blame gerrymandering for alot of things.

[wli]

5. and prisonmandering too

See Prisoners of the Census.

[magellan]

7. Weren't GEM tabulators used? (nt)

[Carolab]

8. The GEMS system is used for both optiscan and DREs.

So, yes.

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Ohio Critics of G.O.P. Start Battle to Change Election Process

Ohio Critics of G.O.P. Start Battle to Change Election Process
By DEAN E. MURPHY
Published: August 10, 2005


Critics of the Republican grip on Ohio politics filed petitions on Tuesday that seek a statewide vote on three constitutional amendments that would overturn the way elections are run and strip elected officials of their power to draw legislative districts.

The move, by the group Reform Ohio Now, is an effort to tap into sentiment across the country to remove political influence from the mechanics of elections. The movement has been sparked in part by partisan lines that are sharply reducing electoral competition in Congress and by efforts by political outsiders like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California to upend the established order.

The Ohio group is backed by so-called good-government organizations like Common Cause, though Republicans insist it is little more than a front for disgruntled Democrats frozen out of power.

If its petitions are successful, a vote on the proposed amendments would be held in November in a campaign that Republicans and Democrats predicted would draw intense interest and millions of dollars from outside the state....

***

The most significant of the amendments would effectively strip Republican elected officials of their control over redistricting, the reverse of an effort in California intended primarily for Democratic lawmakers that is backed by Mr. Schwarzenegger, who himself came into office through an recall election....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/national/10ohio.html

[xray s]

9. I'd like to see this effort in every state

end gerrymandering and election fraud everywhere.

The Democrats should take the lead in this, firmly establishing themselves as a party of reform.

Let's do it.

[murielm99]

10. Interesting. You should post this in the Ohio forum.

It would be nice to see if any Ohio DUers know about this, or are interested in working on it. If could make a difference in the coming elections.

Thank you for posting.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Will do! nt

[wli]

12. change isn't enough; the perpetrators must be brought to justice

[Liberty Belle]

13. Good concept, but trouble is if they control the voting machines,

they can rig the election so that these initiatives will fail.

It's a circular problem. What's the solution?

[loudsue]

14. That's what I was thinking, Liberty Belle....so ... they'll VOTE on this?

Isn't there ALREADY a problem there??

Yep...like you said...it's a circular problem. And until EVERY American realizes that it affects EVERY ONE OF US, Dem & repuke alike, nothing will change!

It affects repukes, because ...well, like in a primary: if they want someone even MORE right wing to win in the primary, but the deadbeat incumbent has already bent over for the voting machine ownership crowd, then the freepers aren't going to GET their more right wing candidate to win the primary.

If voting is crooked, it's going to affect every single one of us, and there ARE no "winners".

:kick::kick::kick: