GOP war on voting: U.S. Supreme Court rejects petition from Ohio on early voting

Posted by AzBlueMeeanie:

Another victory against the GOP war on voting. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a petition for certiorari from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted to review the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals order to make early voting available to all voters on an equal basis on the final weekend before election day in Ohio. High court won't block early voting in Ohio:

The Supreme Court sided with Democrats on Tuesday in refusing to
block a decision over disputed early voting days in the battleground
state of Ohio, giving President Barack Obama's campaign a victory three
weeks before the election.

The court refused a request by the
state's Republican elections chief and attorney general to get involved
in a battle over early voting on the three days before Election Day.

Obama's
campaign and Ohio Democrats sued the state officials over changes in
state law that took away the three days of voting for most people but
made exceptions for military personnel and Ohioans living overseas.

Democrats
in their lawsuit cited a recent study saying nearly 105,000 people
voted in the three days before the election in 2008. They argued
everyone should have the chance to vote on those days. And they said
eliminating the opportunity for most Ohio residents to vote in person on
those days, while giving military or overseas voters the chance to do
so, leads to unequal treatment.

* * *

On Oct. 5, a federal appeals court reinstated voting on the weekend
and Monday before the election and returned discretion to set hours on
those days to local boards of elections.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court last week.

* * *

Shortly after the high court's decision, Husted ordered uniform hours
across the state. The hours are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov.
3; from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4; and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on
Monday, Nov. 5.

Bob Bauer, general counsel for Obama for America, praised the Supreme Court's decision.

Greg Sargent adds at The Plum Line, Why Ohio early voting decision could be a big deal:

Dems also hope that the decision will help them turn out African
Americans to the polls. In particular, they note that early voting will now be possible on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., giving them a chance to urge African Americans to vote after church. ["Souls to the Polls"]

There are some signs early voting in Ohio is already favoring Dems. As my colleague Aaron Blake notes,
Dems may be benefitting from larger early turnout in Franklin and
Hamilton County — both Dem-dominated areas, thanks to urban centers like
Columbus and Cincinnati. (There is also heavy early turnout in one GOP
county).

* * *

More broadly, this is only the latest sign that voting rights proponents have had more success this cycle than anyone expected in beating back efforts to limit voting, though it’s important to remember that the battle is far from won. As I noted here the other day,
voting restrictions have proven to be the dog that didn’t bark in this
election. Whoever wins the presidential race, this latest is another
victory for democracy.

Well, at least until the U.S. Supreme Court decides to attack the Voting Rights Act.