Ohio state officials face a federal court order that they allow a significant expansion of ballot drop box use, after the state bristled at a more moderate approach laid out by the judge.
LaRose is just trying to run the clock out…the longer this goes on, the fewer votes that can be put in drop boxes in the big Democratic cities, and the more likely the Republicans hold Ohio. It’s a disgusting play, and shows that all Republicans are in it together when it comes to suppressing the votes of the American people. Good on the judge for giving counties the chance to put drop boxes anywhere that is helpful, hopefully the Democratic counties can turn that around quickly and help people vote.
We really need new voting rights legislation at the federal level that protects people’s right to vote without interference. I suspect it will, once again, be one of the first bills the House passes in January, but it needs to go through this time, and survive thousands of Republican lawsuits, and not have holes in it that Republicans can use to cheat. Tough order, but this is one issue that just has to be done so that we get people voting…the more people that vote, the better for the nation.
LaRose should understand by now that his attempts to thwart democracy are doomed to failure and that by trying to suppress the vote, he does little besides guarantee he will be a target in due time.
One more thing that will be pushed to the soon-to-be-stacked SCOTUS.
It’s the only play Rs have left until the court is expanded at which point they will have none.
I know he’s trying to run out the clock and suppress the vote, but I think it may well backfire. I voted yesterday in Columbus, a pretty Democratic city. The line was long, but kept moving so I only had to wait 20 minutes. People were coming in and dropping off absentee ballots the entire time I waited in line. Metropolitan areas, which trend Democratic, have public transportation that can be taken to the BOE, rural, Republican counties, not so much. We will see how this plays out, but I think it’s a bad idea strategy. Also this is just begging for a Constitutional Amendment to move to mail in voting and require multiple drop boxes per county.
Husted, and now LaRose, where da fuck do they find these shits?
LaRose[ has also already appealed the latest federal court order.
Seems to me for one to appeal a federal court order one should first actually follow the federal court order. If they don’t, the judge hearing the appeal should punish them accordingly. Delay tactics are all the GOP have left with 3.5 weeks to go before the election.
The federal judge, however, in his dismissal order earlier this week, read the new directive to also sanction off-site drop offs (at places like public libraries) where election staff would be deployed to accept the ballots in person.
Y’know what this means, don’t you? Time for the GOPers to get rid of public libraries as a matter of course in the effort to suppress the vote. Next thing on their to-do list.
They put those drop boxes at libraries in MI and its been great. Such an easy thing to do and makes it all so much more safe, convenient and accessible.
I also like that this judge said he wouldn’t put a hold on his order while it was being appealed. Smart. All the bullshit litigation to suppress the vote must stop. Its obvious what these pukes are doing. Plus, they’re so stupid in that they’re also suppressing their own voters in the process. They’ll do anything to avoid facing the voters…and they’re looking more desperate than ever.
Most every municipal building in NJ has a drop box. Super convenient
The Koch brothers and AFP already started this back in 2016.
LaRose spokeswoman Maggie Sheehan said, “The place to make changes in how we run our elections is the statehouse, not the courthouse.”
Let’s see… the courthouse decides the meaning of the statehouse’s changes. What she really means is: “The place to make changes in how we run our elections is the Secretary of State’s office, not the courthouse or the legislature.”
“The place to make changes in how we run our elections is the statehouse, not the courthouse.”
Yeah, I bet a lot of Southern states said that back in the 1950s and 1960s too.
The objective is the same: keep Those People from voting. The definition of Those People has been expanded somewhat to include almost any demographic they expect will mostly vote Democratic, so it’s still mostly African-Americans, though some other groups have been added to the mix as well.
I know I say this a lot but I want an accounting of how much money the OH SoS is spending to make it harder for OH voters to vote. McConnell and his members don’t want to send relief money to states and local municipalities because they don’t want to bail out Democratic run states and cities, but the money LaRose is spending on these court cases is coming from either his department or the AG’s department.
The same should be investigated in WI. How many cuts are being made in other parts of state gov’t to finance this asshattery?
There really needs to be a point, at least in the case of public officials, where bad faith and repetitive refusal to obey court orders becomes prosecutable.
Could have sworn Republicans were haters of Legislating-from-the-bench; but always running to court for that very thing.
In our county, population 350,000, we have 18 24-hour ballot drop boxes open October 9 to November 3, four more that are open during business hours beginning Oct. 19, another 12 open during business hours beginning Oct. 30, and another seven on election day.
Farm-owning white Protestants only.
I’m sure Ohio’s Sec of State would think California’s Secretary (and Gov) were card-carrying Socialists.
We have expanded drop-boxes to include numerous non-governmental agencies/locations. (Some counties may be using secure boxes outside of hospitals, shopping centers…)
Ballots can be mailed, exchanged at the polls if you want to vote in person or dropped off at any polling place in California no matter where your county of origin is.
On-the-other-hand, my elderly parent in Louisiana- who lives alone, must find someone to come to her home to sign her envelope as a Witness ( or get it notarized) then have that individual drop it off because she does not drive. Thank goodness she has relatives there to do that. Think of the elderly/disabled who live alone without anyone to rely on? This is all just disgraceful.
It would be nice if some of these judges could find their way to places like Texas, where bad faith apparently rules.
I just don’t get it. Election after election after election, Republic Ohio Secretaries of State go all-out, making up rules to prevent registration and voting, shorting Democratic precincts of ballots and equipment, very likely actually being complicit in electronic election theft in 2004. And every time, their reward is to be flushed like a turd by the Ohio Republic Party apparatus when they try to move up the ladder.