Voting Rights

11.09.17

Ohio Marijuana Reform: Progress at Local Level

By Celina Coming

On Tuesday, Athens voters overwhelmingly approved ending all penalties for marijuana possession of up to seven ounces. This ballot measure is a hidden gem in this week’s election results and deserves statewide recognition for expanding civil liberties and moving Ohio a step closer to marijuana legalization, which the ACLU has long supported.

09.25.17

Going Beyond the Historic Right to Vote

By Katrice Williams

National Voter Registration Day, celebrated on Tuesday, September 26, is a national holiday that focuses on the importance of voter registration. Organizations and community groups across the country will come together to hold public events, educational workshops, and registration drives. The task before them, however, might be larger than expected due to the rising amounts of voter apathy and voter fatigue in the U.S.

09.14.17

Ohio’s New Online Voter Registration: Expanding Access to the Ballot Box

By Katrice Williams

After years of lobbying and activism from voting rights organizations, Ohioans can finally register to vote online. This opportunity was not available prior to January 1, 2017, but now that it’s here, it’s sure to increase the number of people who can register.

08.09.17

Cleveland Mayoral and City Council Candidates Must Prioritize Police Reform

By Emma Keeshin

With so many candidates for Cleveland mayor and City Council this year, it can be hard to keep track of all of them. But something you must keep track of is their commitment to police reform in Cleveland.

That’s because Cleveland is in year two of a multi-year police reform process, known as the consent decree, which is overseen by a federal judge after the U.S.

07.18.17

A “How-To” Guide for Activists Registering Jailed Voters

By Katrice Williams

Many Ohioans are misinformed about Ohio’s voting laws including who is eligible to vote with a criminal record. These myths are most common among jail officials, local election authorities and in communities with a high population of persons returning from prison.

07.17.17

National Disability Voter Registration Week, July 17-21

By Katrice Williams

Every year thousands of Ohioans with disabilities are turned away from polling precincts or dismissed at voter registration drives. Often, this is a result of stereotypes regarding their competence or intelligence.

Anyone who meets the eligibility requirements for voting can cast a ballot.

05.25.17

Ken Blackwell’s “Greatest” Hits: Voting Edition

By Katrice Williams

President Trump has created an “election integrity” commission to investigate voter fraud and voter suppression in the United States. Serving as the commission’s chair and vice chair are Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, respectively, with former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell serving as well.

05.11.17

What is the real voter fraud, Mr. President?

By Mike Brickner

Following the November 2016 election, President Trump and his administration made claims that simply should not go unanswered, both because they are patently false and they pose a grave threat to our most cherished right to vote. The administration has repeatedly claimed that 3-5 million people illegally voted in that election, and have now launched a national investigation to look into it.

04.26.17

Don’t Wait Four Years to Vote

By James Kosmatka

While many Americans may feel that they are left out of the political process, 45 percent of adults did not even vote in the 2016 presidential election. The number of adults that will not cast a ballot in non-presidential elections is even higher (63.6% in 2014).

10.12.16

Voting While Trans: Tips for a Successful Election Day

By James Kosmatka

People who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming (GNC) are expected to clarify, justify and apologize for their identity every day. For many, inappropriate personal questions are a daily reality.  It’s no surprise then, to hear that these same dehumanizing hurdles have worked their way into our polling places.

10.03.16

Don’t Get it Twisted—A Conviction Cannot Stop You from Voting

By Katrice Williams

The ACLU of Ohio held a voting rights tele-town hall meeting on Tuesday, September 27 as part of National Voter Registration Day.

Our town hall meeting was moderated by activist and media personality Basheer Jones, and featured panelists Crystal Bryant, co-director and partner at Cleveland VOTES, and Katrice Williams, policy associate at the ACLU of Ohio.

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.

09.23.16

Don’t be Fooled, Presidential Debates only Show a Sliver

By Katrice Williams

The first 2016 American presidential debate is sure to spark angst and ire from the two major political parties. Both sides are eager to prove why the other is uninformed, unqualified and unfit for the presidency, vilifying large swaths of Americans.

09.21.16

ACLU Announces New Webpage for Deaf Voters

By Katrice Williams

Imagine showing up to your local polling place and you are not sure of the rules around how to cast your ballot. You ask for assistance from poll workers, but none of them can speak your language or communicate easily with you.

08.26.16

Who’s Really Eligible to Vote?

By Katrice Williams

Many Americans believe a felony or other criminal conviction prevents you from voting. In reality, it depends on the state.

The patchwork of state laws feeds the myth that people with criminal records cannot vote. This lack of consistency in state laws makes it confusing for returning citizens.

08.12.16

Voting Local Has A Big Impact On Issues You Care About

By Katrice Williams

The last days of July marked the end to both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, where Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have risen as their parties’ presidential nominees for November’s general election.

But limiting November’s general election to just the presidential race is short-sighted, especially given the open seats in the U.S.

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.

02.08.16

It’s 2016 and everybody’s watching. Get registered Ohio.

By Chris Geggie

Even though our state plays such a huge role in determining the direction of one of the most powerful countries in the world, voters remain disengaged, especially in primary elections. According to data from the Ohio Secretary of State, the average voter turnout in primary elections since 1986 is about 28.55 percent.

01.04.16

Ohio is Often the Spotlight for Elections

By Lisa Wurm

Diana Mairose is a voting rights advocate who works as an Advocacy Support Advisor for Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services.

Ohio is often the spotlight on Election Day, and this year was no different. Hamilton County, in particular, gained much statewide attention—not because of hotly contested local races or ballot issues, but because of a glitch in new technology at the polls.

11.16.15

The Ohio Constitution Shouldn’t Define Anyone as an “Idiot” or “Insane Person”

By Chris Geggie

“No idiot, or insane person, shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.” That is how Article V, Section 6 of the Ohio State Constitution currently reads, and it is the subject of the most recent meeting of the Bill of Rights and Voting Committee of the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission.

11.02.15

As Ohio Goes, So Goes the Nation

By Lisa Wurm

Everyone knows it — Ohio is a major swing state, often the deciding state in presidential elections. But in every election, our votes have a greater impact on our local communities. This year Ohioans have the opportunity, and obligation, to provide leadership for the entire country on desperately needed reform in our criminal justice electoral systems.

10.23.15

Why Your Vote DOES Matter This Year

By Lisa Wurm

While it is not a presidential election year, this November 3 might be the most important day you will ever cast your ballot in Ohio.

And no, we are not talking about marijuana.

We are talking about the very important, but sadly unexciting, issue of redrawing state legislative districts to be fairer.

10.19.15

Voting: Civil Death, Misinformation, and Marginalization

By Shakyra Diaz

To vote in the United States, you must be a citizen and 18 years or older. However, in some states citizens are stripped of their right to vote permanently. Luckily, Ohio is not one of those states.

Who are these citizens robbed of their right to participate in democracy?

09.28.15

One Voice, One Vote: Leading With Conviction

By Shakyra Diaz

I recently joined a delegation from the Women of Color Foundation for its first annual Leadership Symposium-Prison Outreach Initiative to participate in a daylong conference with about 250 incarcerated women at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville.

In a large assembly-style room, we were greeted with a beautiful banner and mural that was painted by some resident artists.

09.23.15

What Does It Mean to Vote Free of Barriers?

By Adrienne Gavula

All polling locations must be physically accessible for people with disabilities, and each polling location must have one accessible voting machine. But does accessibility only mean technology and brick and mortar?

Time to Change Attitudes

When we think about barriers for voters with disabilities, we often think of physical barriers, but there are people barriers, too.

09.16.15

Make Constitution Day Mean Something—Vote!

By Steve David

The right to vote has been fought over since the very beginning of this county. Using qualifiers like property, sex, color, and now even ID, those with access to political power have found plenty of reasons to restrict the participation of those without it.

09.09.15

Don’t Be Confused! People With Criminal Convictions Can Vote in Ohio

By Shakyra Diaz

Many states impose lifetime voting bans or restrict voting for people who are on parole, probation, or unable to pay court-related fines. The good news is that Ohio is not one of those states, but more on that later.

Now the Bad News

There’s a great deal of voter confusion and misinformation.

08.12.15

Karla M. Lortz: Advocating for Online Voter Registration in Ohio

By Lisa Wurm

Karla M. Lortz has a voice so pleasant you’d swear you smell warm apple pies on her window sill as she speaks. However, that voice also belongs to a retired director of the Governor’s Council on People with Disabilities and a leading advocate behind legislation, including the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and the 2002 Help America Vote Act.

06.30.15

Summer Break at the Statehouse: A Review of the First Six Months

By Lisa Wurm

The Ohio General Assembly has now passed the state budget, and the first quarter of the two-year legislative session is over. As always, the ACLU of Ohio has been very active at the Statehouse in what was a very busy first six months.

06.29.15

Online Voter Registration on its Way to Reality!

By Lisa Wurm

The ACLU of Ohio supports online voter registration, especially for the many Ohioans with disabilities, limited incomes, inflexible work or family schedules, or lack of transportation means.

Strong Support Paying Off

Ohio Senate Bill 63 will establish a secure, online voter registration system for the state and was just passed last week by the state Senate.