Judge bars challengers from Ohio polling places

[Jersey Devil]

11/1/2004, 5:02 a.m. ET
The Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal judge issued an order early Monday barring political party challengers from polling places throughout Ohio during Tuesday's election.


U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott found that the application of Ohio's statute allowing challengers at polling places is unconstitutional.

She said the presence of challengers inexperienced in the electoral process questioning voters about their eligibility would impede voting.

Dlott ruled on a lawsuit by a black Cincinnati couple who said Republican plans to deploy challengers to largely black precincts in Hamilton County was meant to intimidate and block black voters.

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/politics/index.ssf?/base/politics-0/1099303751272310.xml&storylist=politics

[lil-petunia]

1. sanity? sanity in the time of madness?

Finally, a brave, smart, rational decision by a judge.

yipppeeeee

[Jersey Devil]

2. Ohio Sec State agreed with the judge

Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell was named as a defendant in the suit, he had opposed allowing the private challengers in the polling places

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Excellent! Let's get on with the voting!

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Demeter]

5. WOW!

This makes so much sense, I can hardly breathe!

Time for true election reform--just get us out of the Middle Ages and into the 21st century, okay?

[blondeatlast]

6. Civil Rights 1 big one, bully tactics 0! You pay taxes, you vote.

Everyone should be allowed to vote, period. I mean it. Every US citizen.

Is that so hard?

[Mountainman]

7. i hope other states follow suit!

Hey freeps, BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

8. Republicans: They Hate Us For Our Freedom

For instance, our freedom to vote their monkey out of office!

[smiley_glad_hands]

21. So True.

Should be a new meme or something.

[radiofreesrini]

9. republican goon squad - STAY HOME!

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

26. All your state are belong to us!

Hah! that made me laugh

[Chovexani]

38. LOL Good One!

There's something to visualize!

[CHICKEN CAPITOL USA]

45. someone set up us the bum

*

[ET Awful]

10. Chalk 1 up for the good guys! Nicely done Judge Dlott! n/t

[lefthandedskyhook]

11. Heal those wounds in Ohio

These words echoed in my head at this news:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

[AspenRose]

17. Amen and Amen

This is encouraging news. I agree with another poster: Ohio (and the rest of this country) needs to heal from the damage this administration has caused, and bravely move on.

[Birthday]

36. Amen and hallelujah!!!

So be it. How can anyone want anything less?????????

[lizzieforkerry]

12. I'm an Ohio Challenger

and they haven't told us to stay home tomorrow...yet. I'll let you know if they do!

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[wryter2000]

27. Welcome, Lizzie

Please keep us up-to-date. :hi:

[Chiyo-chichi]

13. Outstanding.

Come on, Ohioans, go big for Kerry!

[Nightwing]

14. Absolutely fantastic news!!

Just another reason why Bush will LOSE Ohio!! :headbang:

[JPZenger]

18. Best of All Worlds

The situation in Ohio was the best of all worlds:

The GOP gave minorities great motivation to show up at the polls so the voters could prove that they would not be intimidated.

And then the intimidation was stopped by a Federal judge.

This decision will also help avoid excessively long lines and confusion.

---
NPR described how Cuyahoga County officials had a training session to describe the State law and procedures to persons who wanted to challenge voters in the polling places. The only people who showed up were Democrats who wanted to make sure that the vote was not suppressed. The GOP went to their own top-secret training sessions instead. Its great that all those GOP efforts were wasted.

[Supersedeas]

16. another Republican fascist plan that is UNCONSTITUTIONAL (surprised?)

tactics people....look at Republican tactics.

[cubsfan forever]

19. Could it be another

indication that the country is about to be returned to the people.
This is a tremendous victory for common sense! GOTV
Professor 2

[vinnievin777]

20. Good

Now Ohio voters will find out Kerry won sooner.

Vinnie Vin
http://www.vinnievin.com

[yellowcanine]

22. Huge backlash against Bush coming in Ohio tomorrow. The Repubs made a

huge miscalculation on the "voter fraud" - voter challenger issue. Yeah, Ohio law may say that it is legal for any party hack to challenge any voter - but most people, including many Republicans, I would guess, recognizes that this is inherently unfair and antidemocratic. Also it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the challenges are taking place in minority precincts, with the deliberate result of clogging up the process, creating long lines and ultimately suppressing the minority (i.e. Kerry) vote. Not only has this only had the opposite effect of energizing the minority voters but I would guess this will push many swing voters and maybe even some Republicans into the Kerry camp in an effort to punish the Republicans for this clearly illegal effort at voter suppression. This is also happening in the upper midwest and the southwest with Indian tribes. The backlash may save Tom Daschle in S. Dakota and swing New Mexico and Arizona into the Kerry column.

[TeddyKGB]

23. Hooray, but it ain't over yet.

The Repugs have appealed.

[Jersey Devil]

24. Better they appealed than us

I believe that even if the decision is reversed the appellate court would limit how challenges are made to prevent disruption.

[TeddyKGB]

25. "Challenges" are wrong, regardless of party

Anyone wants to challenge the validity of a registration before the election, fine.

But stay the hell out of my way at the polling place.

[wryter2000]

29. Welcome to DU, Teddy

:hi:

[lizzieforkerry]

34. We are just called Challengers so we are allowed in

NO DEMS ARE CHALLENGING VOTERS!!! We are just in there because the Republicans have decided to challenge and we are going to defend our voters! We know the law and some of our voters don't! So if a Rep. starts to challenge them we are there to tell them their rights. We don't want to be there, we would rather no one had challengers, but wouldn't you rather have us there defending our voters than having them defending themselves?

[jpak]

28. That judge most certainly saved some lives

and prevented scores of serious injuries.

There would have been blood in the streets if the repugs tried to stop people at the polls...

[Zorra]

30. Can there be any more more obvious statement about the differences

between judges appointed by Bu$h, and judges appointed by Democrats? The Democrat appointed judges protect our rights and freedoms, and the Bu$h justices take them away.

Judge Dlott was appointed by President Clinton in 1995.

We can not afford anymore Bu$h appointees to Federal Courts, (or to any other office anywhere).

[Angrillori]

31. Any ideas on how long it takes before * is whining

about these "activist judges" (I hate that term!) who interpret the constitution to mean that people should actually be encouraged to vote?

[GOTV]

32. That's really good news

assuming it stands up to appeal.

Now the only hurdle we face is the weather. Cuyahoga county (The populous center of Ohio's liberal corner) is forecast to receive rain and thunderstorms all election day.

I wonder which would have suppressed turnout more?

[Birthday]

35. Weather????????

No Democrat worth his salt will be staying home because of the weather. If it is cold and rainy tomorrow, please make sure that the frail have rides, coats, hats, umbrellas, boots, gloves and BEST OF ALL - BALLOT IN HAND!!!!! Let no one stay home because of the weather. Please tell them that there is no storm like the one that will come if Bush is given another 4 years. Anyone in the Milwaukee area that needs a ride, let me know. There are plenty of people who will coddle, assist, drive, shelter, etc., to make sure the weather is clear for the next four years.

[Starlight]

33. Hey, I'm working as a poll challenger tomorrow!

And I won't be there to suppress the vote! In NJ poll challengers mainly keep track of who comes in to vote...so we can call the no shows later in the day & remind them or offer a ride. :) That's what the Republican challengers do, too. In fact, sometimes they actually fill in for each other so the "enemy" can take a restroom break. :)

[Chovexani]

37. Let freedom ring!

KERRY IN A LANDSLIDE! :D

[lovuian]

39. Saw CNN the Repub's have an appeal out

Decision will be made tomorrow AM but two judges ruled agaisnt them so not looking good for them!!!

[lizzieforkerry]

40. The appeal is still being reviewed by the 6th district and simultaneously

by the OH SC

[GOTV]

41. Looks like the Ohio SC ruled partially for the Republicans

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,137229,00.html

[Tweed]

42. Welcome to the DU

Don't ever post a link to FOX again

:hi:

[radiofreesrini]

43. heartbroken about a reversal :(

new york times reports the goon squad's new green light:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/02/politics/campaign/02ohio.html?hp&ex=1099458000&en=19fed453a7e009ac&ei=5094&partner=homepage

i will never forgive them!!!!! they bomb for "democracy" then they destroy it at home?!?!

[lizzieforkerry]

44. All the more reason to vote Fuerst, Connally and O'Neil! n/t

[GOTV]

46. Obviously....

... you are from my part of the country.