CLEVELAND – Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted took a step in the right direction this afternoon by setting uniform 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. early voting hours on weekdays in the two weeks before the November 2012 election.
“All Ohioans should have equal access to early voting opportunities and this decision gives them that access,” said Mike Brickner, director of communications and public policy. “Unfortunately many voters will still have difficulty getting to the polls early without weekend access to early voting.”
The ACLU also called upon all Ohio leaders, including Husted, to recognize once and for all that expansion of early voting opportunities, including weekends, is good for the electoral process.
“Whether it is absentee voting or early in person voting, Ohioans have proven eager to take advantage of every available method of early voting,” said Brickner. “Voters who work long hours or hold more than one job find weekend voting hours especially helpful.”
“The expansion of absentee and early voting opportunities has led to record voter turnouts while helping to protect against the long lines and allegations of misconduct that have plagued so many of our past elections,” Brickner added. “If we truly want more voter participation then these additional options are the way to go; we should stop the partisan fighting and start embracing the future of voting.”
