Golden Week

09.27.16

Voter purges: It’s not about the dead people

By Mike Brickner

Last week, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals dealt a serious blow to Ohio’s illegal and unfair practice of removing voters from the rolls simply because they have not voted for a few federal elections. The ACLU of Ohio and Demos challenged this process in court, and the Sixth Circuit Court decided that it violated federal law and must stop immediately.

08.02.16

Voter Suppression Undermines Democracy

By Katrice Williams

Voting is a sacred American value. It gives each citizen their say in a government “of the people, by the people, for the people” While we may not agree on values or even the means to achieve shared objectives, we can agree that every eligible voter deserves unimpeded access to the ballot.

04.03.15

Ohio’s Voting Record: Ready to Strike Out or Hit a Grand Slam?

By Lisa Wurm

It’s indisputable that voting is critical for Ohioans.

We strive to make our communities a better place to live and to ensure that our democracy works for everyone. However, to do this, all our votes are crucial—for Ohio and the entire nation.

09.26.14

Fight for Voting Rights in Ohio Goes to the U.S. Supreme Court

By Tim Cable

After a federal district court judge ruled in the ACLU of Ohio’s case NAACP v. Husted that cuts to early voting opportunities in Ohio must be restored in time for the November 2014 election, Secretary of State Jon Husted could have taken the opportunity to accept the court’s order and begin educating voters about early voting.

09.16.14

Voting early? Choose your date and time!

By Mike Brickner

Update 09.29.14: Due to an order by the U.S. Supreme Court, Ohio’s early voting period has changed from the schedule originally listed below. Read our press release: ACLU Comment on Supreme Court Action on Ohio Early Voting. Go to our Vote Center for up to date information.

09.11.14

Why is Secretary Husted Defying a Court Order?

By Steve David

Update 09.29.14: Due to an order by the U.S. Supreme Court, Ohio’s early voting period has changed. Read our press release: ACLU Comment on Supreme Court Action on Ohio Early Voting. Go to our Vote Center for up to date information.

09.09.14

Victory for Ohio Voters!

By Mike Brickner

Early this year, Ohio’s legislature and Secretary of State slashed early voting opportunities that had been relied upon by thousands of voters in Ohio. A week-long same-day registration period, all evening early voting hours, and all but one Sunday of early voting were cut from Ohio’s early voting period.

09.08.14

Federal Judge Sees Through Ohio’s Bogus Arguments For Cutting Early Voting

By Steve David

This article is featured on the national ACLU Blog of Rights.

While it may be technically possible for there to be a sufficiently good reason to cut early voting – one that isn’t just a sorry excuse for voter suppression – we haven’t seen it yet.

08.15.14

ACLU in the Courts: Fighting for Your Voting Rights

By Mike Brickner

Five ACLU staff attorneys.

Multiple volunteer attorneys, clerks, and legal assistants.

Hundreds of hours of staff time fighting unfair restrictions on Ohioans’ right to vote.

On Monday, August 11, the ACLU of Ohio and ACLU National Voting Rights Project went to court in Columbus to challenge cuts to early voting that will hurt working Ohioans.

07.09.14

How Cuts to Early Voting Hurt Everyone

By Mike Brickner

It never fails to amaze me how some politicians continue to claim that cuts to early voting opportunities don’t hurt voters, and that people have plenty of time to cast their ballots without evenings and weekends. At best, these claims are willfully ignorant of the fact that many people have inflexible work schedules, childcare duties, lack of transportation, or a disability that makes it difficult for them to get to their polling place on Election Day.

06.24.14

Statehouse 2014: Religious Bigotry, Discrimination, Suppression—Oh My!

By Lisa Wurm

It is understandably difficult to keep track of everything that goes on at the Statehouse.  We have a hard time ourselves. The current two-year legislative session is 75% over and, with important elections looming, we expect the Statehouse will be quieter during the fall until the lame duck session.

06.20.14

Early Voting – Is the Fight Over?

By Tim Cable

Obama for America v. Husted, filed in 2012 and decided on June 11, 2014, challenged an Ohio statute and a set of directives issued by the Ohio Secretary of State on the ground that the provisions together violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

12.12.13

Ohio Legislature Bent on Making Voting Harder

By Nick Worner

Below is an excerpt from an Op/Ed that appeared in The Columbus Dispatch on 12/07/2013.

It’s no big secret that manipulating voting laws is a partisan blood sport in Ohio. The controversies of 2004 are the stuff of legend, and in 2012 we saw a voting bill so obviously partisan that the voters themselves organized a ballot referendum to strike it down.