“The decision made by Secretary Husted to limit voting hours in Cuyahoga County is unfortunate, misguided, and—frankly—wrong,” Senator Turner said. “This goes beyond even the most restrictive option that was before the Board. The State of Ohio should not be in the business of making it harder to vote.”
Husted’s decision came as a result of a tie vote by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on how to best handle extended hours during the early voting period. By law, the Secretary of State is to cast the tie-breaking vote in the case of a split decision. In his letter to Board members on Friday, Husted cited budgetary concerns and the need to maintain uniformity in the elections process across the state.
“While I appreciate the Secretary’s insistence on a uniform elections system, the state should be uniformly expanding access to the ballot—not limiting it,” Turner said. “Ohio’s urban counties have to deal with heavy traffic at polling stations throughout the election, and this needs to be taken into account. This decision could disenfranchise thousands of voters.”
“The standard business hours of the Board of Elections are also the same ones during which most people are at work,” Turner commented. “This will hurt hard working Ohioans who need the flexibility to vote around their work schedules.”
During the 2008 election, nearly 30,000 voters cast ballots during times that would no longer be available as a result of the Secretary of State’s ruling and the passage of House Bill 194, which eliminates early voting on the three days leading up to Election Day.
“This is yet another instance of Republicans in Columbus making it harder for Ohio’s citizens to cast their vote,” Senator Turner said.
In 2008, the majority of Cuyahoga County voters who utilized in-person early voting were African American, and these changes are likely to disproportionately affect this population. “These battles were fought decades ago and, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why we are fighting them again. History is repeating itself in a very ugly way.”
Secretary Husted’s decision could be nullified if the Board of Elections reaches a compromise on the issue of extended early voting hours.
“There is no reason why we should let our political affiliation stand in the way of doing what is right. Our Board has a long history of working in the interest of voters, and I urge the members to come together to continue this work and expand access to the ballot,” Turner stated.
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Monday, July 16, 2012
Senator Turner Calls on Secretary of State Husted to Give More Access to the Polls
