Senator Turner Reacts to Husted Directive on Early Voting

(Cleveland) – State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) issued the following statement today in response to Secretary of State Jon Husted’s announcement that all county boards of elections will have the same early voting hours this year:

“While I am pleased that Secretary of State Husted has decided to provide for uniform extended early voting hours during the this year’s election, his directive does not go far enough. It will still be harder to vote in Cuyahoga County than it has been in the past, when voters had the option of casting ballots on Saturdays and Sundays.

“These more restrictive hours will still disproportionately affect the county’s African American communities, which were responsible for 56 percent of all ballots cast on the four weekends leading up to the election in 2008.

“While the Secretary’s decision does create uniformity, I cannot understand why—in a presidential election year—voters would not be afforded every opportunity to cast their ballot. Weekend voting is essential to promoting voter access.”