Voter Suppression Challenged by Ohioans, Allies

[blitzburgh55]

Columbus, OH , Nov 20 - Two separate voter advocacy coalitions are putting together federal lawsuits against election officials in Franklin County, Ohio, alleging unfair allocation of polling materials, staff and equipment that disenfranchised thousands of voters in the county’s low-income and African-American precincts.

Drawing from testimonies gathered at public hearings concluding Monday at the Columbus courthouse, a coalition of voter advocacy groups including People for the American Way, Common Cause Ohio, Citizens Alliance for a Fair Election (CASE Ohio) and The League of Pissed-Off Voters contend that state election practices suppressed voters in lower-income precincts and violated constitutional law guaranteeing all US citizens the right to vote.

"In previous years we had five or six voting machines at our polling place, this year we had three," said Carol Shelton, a librarian and poll worker in a low-income, primarily African-American neighborhood in Northeast Columbus who volunteered to testify under oath at Saturday’s hearing.

Common Cause Ohio, a democracy advocacy organization, rests its federal complaint against the Franklin County Board of Elections on the 14th amendment guarantee to equal protection and the 1965 Voting Rights Act declaring federal protection against racially discriminatory electoral practices. Grounding their suit in the public testimonies as well as county records of Election Day procedures, Common Cause intends to challenge this election and push forward more astringent electoral legislation.

League of Pissed Off Voters Cleveland Organizer Mexie Wilson holds Blackwell personally responsible for many of the doubts surrounding election results. Already the Secretary of State has spoken publicly of intentions to run on the Republican ticket in the 2006 Governor’s race.

"I feel like Kenneth Blackwell delivered Ohio to the Republicans," Wilson said, offering clues into the Ohio League’s next campaign. "The governor’s race is in two years. We --the young people who started voting this election -- need to keep voting, and fix things so Blackwell can’t make any more messes," Wilson said.



much more..... http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=1249

[Eric J in MN]

1. Franklin Country, which had perhaps the biggest problem of

too few voting machines in black neighborhoods, received "between five and ten million dollars in Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds" this year.

Republican Matt Damschroder is the top election official in Franklin County.

I'd like an audit of how Damschroder spent that money.

[99Pancakes]

2. You knew there was something wrong

When the papers were carrying photos of MILES long lines in Ohio and FL. For shame! In the Greatest Democracy on Earth. Humph!
:mad: