Blackwell SMACKDOWN! - Judge orders provisional ballots counted!

[ohioan]

Ohio Voters Win Access to the Ballot Box; Federal Judge Sides with Democratic Party On Provisional Ballot Issue

Thursday, October 14, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 14, 2004

Ohio Voters Win Access to the Ballot Box; Federal Judge Sides with Democratic Party On Provisional Ballot Issue

COLUMBUS – Human and technical errors that keep the names eligible voters off the voting rolls will not prevent Ohio voters from casting ballots in the November 2 election. A federal judge in Toledo today sided with the Ohio Democratic Party and the Sandusky County Democratic Party is its lawsuit against Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell.

Judge James G. Carr granted a preliminary injunction against Secretary of State Blackwell. It prevents him from requiring county boards of elections to follow his directive that could have prevented many eligible voters from voting. Judge Carr said most registered voters whose names are not on the registration books at the polling place they have chosen can cast provisional ballots.

“With 500,000 newly registered voters, Ohioans are showing a great interest in this election. We should not turn away eligible voters at the polls. The Secretary of State ought to be encouraging voting, not discouraging it,” said Dennis White, Ohio Democratic Party Chair.

Judge Carr has ordered Blackwell to issue a new directive that is consistent with the Help America Vote Act of 2002. The judge noted the state plan to implement the federal law did not fully cover the cases in which a person may not appear on the rolls, but has a right under the new federal law to vote.

The Democratic Party filed suit on September 27 expressing concern that many new voters and those who may have moved recently would not have been able to vote. This would have disproportionately affected low income and minority voters in Ohio.

“The Ohio Democratic Party will continue to work through election day to encourage every voter to vote, and we expect the Secretary of State to issue a new set of guidelines that will allow voters to participate in the election process,” White said.

http://www.ohiodems.org/index.php?display=ReleaseDetails&id=178161&PHPSESSID=dfd80f0d8b7cf231f8df56b0bc023b38

[liberalnurse]

1. He has already filed an appeal!

[ohioan]

3. Yes - he claims that the Federal Judge misinterpreted federal law . . .

Ain't it great having a Secretary of State - African American, to boot - who is willing to pull out all the stops to make sure that people can't vote?

Fortunately, there are still some federal judges on the bench who understand the Constitution and will hold the Blackwells of the world in check. If the law on provisional voting, Judge Carr wrote, "saves but a single vote, its purposes will have been accomplished, and its adoption justified."

Thank you, Judge.

[AirAmFan]

5. What must people all over the world think when they hear stories like this

about the US? They must regard Bush and Republicans the same way they think of World War II fascists!

[crispini]

2. YES!

Smackdown to YOU, Mr. POS Blackwell!

This stuff is SO STUPID.... so obviously partisan. Everyone else in the NATION has agreed on HAVA's use of provisional balloting. I just got back from training on this. WTF does he think he is up there, Mr. Legal Eagle. What a waste of time, I hope OH voters wipe him off the map or unappoint him or something.

[Zorra]

4. Smack that lying no good weasel down! Yes!

“With 500,000 newly registered voters, Ohioans are showing a great interest in this election. We should not turn away eligible voters at the polls. The Secretary of State ought to be encouraging voting, not discouraging it,” said Dennis White, Ohio Democratic Party Chair.

Damn straight, Mr. White. But Secretary of State Blackwell is a corrupt republican crook so don't ever expect him to do anything that doesn't stink to high heaven.