GOP War on Voting: U.S. District Court Judge restores early voting in Ohio

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In yet another major victory for voting rights advocates this week, a federal judge today sided with President Barack Obama’s re-election
campaign in Obama for America v. Husted and ordered Ohio to allow early voting on the three days prior
to the Nov. 6 election to all voters. Federal judge orders Ohio to allow early voting on 3 days before Election Day:

U.S. District Court Senior Judge Peter C. Economus ordered Republican
Secretary of State Jon Husted not to enforce a state law passed last
year that closed that window to in-person early voting to anyone but
members of the military and their families.

“This Court notes that restoring in-person early voting to all Ohio
voters through the Monday before Election Day does not deprive
(military) voters from early voting,’’ wrote Judge Economus, a Clinton
appointee. “Instead, and more importantly, it places all Ohio voters on
equal standing.

“The only hindrance to (military) early voting is the Secretary of
State’s failure to set uniform hours at elections boards during the last
three days before Election Day,’’ he wrote. “On balance, the right of
Ohio voters to vote in person during the last three days prior to
Election Day—a right previously conferred to all voters by the
State—outweighs the State’s interest in setting the 6 p.m. Friday
deadline.’’

“This Court anticipates that Defendant Secretary of State will direct
all Ohio elections boards to maintain a specific, consistent schedule on
those three days, in keeping with his earlier directive that only by
doing so can he ensure that Ohio’s election process is ‘uniform,
accessible for all, fair, and secure’,’’ Judge Economus wrote.

You can read the Order (.pdf) here.

And you guessed it … "Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced he will appeal the ruling.
That appeal will be made to the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit Court of
Appeals."

For a detailed analysis see Rick Hasen's Election Law Blog. Breaking News: Federal Judge Orders Ohio to Restore Weekend Early Voting in Ohio Weekend Before Election Day.