2nd Judge Bars Challengers at Polls in Ohio

[Q]

Rebuffing G.O.P., 2 Judges Bar Challengers at Polls in Ohio
By TERENCE NEILAN

Published: November 1, 2004

In a double blow to the Republicans on the final day of campaigning in the presidential race, two federal judges today barred challengers representing any political party from polling places in Ohio during Tuesday's election.

United States District Judge Susan J. Dlott in Cincinnati found that the application of Ohio's statute allowing challengers at polling places was unconstitutional and that allowing any candidates other than election judges and other electors into the polling place would place "an undue burden upon voters" and impede their rights to vote.

In a similar case, United States District Judge John R. Adams of Akron said poll workers should be the ones who determine if voters are eligible.

The rulings apply to all Ohio's 88 counties, a spokesman for Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, Carlo LoParo, told The Associated Press.

With the rulings, the judges made clear that they did not want partisan challengers to voters' ballots inside the polling places, and that the disruption that such challenges would create outweighed any potential voting fraud, which Republicans had cited as the reason for the challengers.

http://nytimes.com/2004/11/01/politics/campaign/01cnd-ballot.html?hp&ex=1099371600&en=7fcbec2460759182&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[yellowcanine]

1. Game. Set. Match. Buh Bye, Bushies. Your last best hope was voter

suppression. That is now gone. Heh.

[Q]

4. Not exactly...they still have the 'felon' lists and touch screen...

...voting. But both judges make it pretty clear that they won't tolerate the GOP challenging voters with gangs of thugs.

[skypilot]

2. What do you want to bet...

...that the bastards will show up anyway?

[jeanmarc]

7. Vote first.....

then bloody their nose second. These people need a good pop in the nose.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. Provisional ballots will save us even if they try this BS

Ohio is ours.

[fugop]

5. What does this mean ...

... for the volunteer election protection workers? I have a friend, a lawyer, who's going to Ohio for that. Will they be barred as well, or is it only official challengers who will be barred?

[Q]

6. These decisions apply only to 'challengers'...

...so I would think that election protection workers wouldn't be involved because they're not challenging anyone's right to vote.

[noonriser]

8. WooHoo!

Take that Blackwell!