Ohio Papers Determined to Cover Polling Places, Despite Sec. of State Ban

[Roland99]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000697509

Despite a directive from the Ohio secretary of state barring reporters and photographers from polling places, some newspaper editors are urging staffers today to ignore the order and seek access to voting sites until they are ordered out.

"We are going to proceed on the assumption we will get in and will until we get thrown out," said Doug Clifton, editor of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, who estimates that up to 50 of his newsroom staffers would be visiting polling places Tuesday in the hotly contested state. "They were getting in this morning , but not everywhere."

In addition, at least one paper -- The Columbus Dispatch -- has registered newsroom employees as election challengers so they gain access to polling places.

"We filed to be challengers because election officials said they would strictly enforce laws regulating who can be in polling places -- voters, poll workers and challengers only," Dispatch Editor Ben Marrison wrote in a column. "Dispatch staffers are registered as challengers for every precinct in Franklin and Delaware counties."


Sorry, Blackhole! Your diabolical scheme is being thwarted!!!

[Roland99]

1. Kick