Voting Rights of Ohio Veterans and Deployed Troops Under Attack
You wouldn't think that anyone would knowingly threaten the voting rights of our nations' deployed service members and hospital-bound veterans. But an attempt is being made right now that could risk the absentee ballots of thousands of troops and veterans from and in Ohio.
Existing Ohio law allows citizens to register to vote and cast an absentee ballot on the same day, as long as it happens 30 days before the election. But a ridiculous new lawsuit brought against Ohio's Secretary of State is trying to prevent the two actions of registering to vote and submitting an absentee ballot from happening simultaneously. If the lawsuit succeeds, it could nullify the votes of potentially thousands of veterans in VA hospitals and deployed military personal that took advantage of this opportunity to register and vote at the same time.
Ohioans have made tremendous sacrifices in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since September 11th, more than 46,000 of the state's sons and daughters have deployed. We owe these veterans and all service members an absentee voting process that is fair, predictable, and clear.
This is not a partisan matter. Regardless of which candidates they cast their ballots for, servicemen and women and hospitalized veterans, who rely on absentee voting, could find their ballots thrown out.
Disenfranchising our brave men and women in uniform is unpatriotic, and threatens the very democracy and freedoms that they are fighting so hard to defend. Join IAVA in demanding that the court reject this last minute, politically-motivated ploy that could block the votes of our troops and veterans. This is a campaign effort that all Americans should support -- Republican, Democrat and everything in between.
UPDATE: We Won! The Ohio Supreme Court has rejected a last minute challenge to the state's absentee ballot voting law, a decision which represents a tremendous victory for Ohio's troops and veterans. Last week, IAVA joined several advocacy rights groups in submitting an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the current understanding of the law. The Court's decision to uphold the current law ensures that our servicemembers are able to take full advantage of the very freedoms they are fighting for, anything else would be unpatriotic and un-American.
Follow Paul Rieckhoff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulRieckhoff
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GOP with their COUNTRY FIRST is actually CITIZENS LAST!
As former Ohio resident, it has been great to see people in my old state finally begin to vote in their own economic interests, though I think many people had to face catastrophe before this happened. This latest stunt proves that the republican'ts in Ohio haven't gone away and are still trying the same old crap. As a former soldier (peacetime, got nothing on you guys!), it sickens me that the troops are still used as republican't props when it is convenient, then are screwed by the Bushies at every turn. I commend you and your organization, Paul, keep fighting the good fight!
US Army Airborne 90-94 91B1P
It is always Republicans that try to limit voting. Democrats thrive on registering more and more people. What does that tell us? The majority, if they vote, are clearly for the Democrat's stand on most issues.
One word - despicable.
You know what is most hilarious about this?
The military has been one of the Republican's strongest supporters until now. They did this huge "get out the vote," push assuming that the same percentage of all the troops supported them, and then discovered that the troops who hadn't been voting were young, poor, or black troops who had been discouraged from voting cause they thought everyone was republican. Now they are seeing all these Democratic absentee votes and are panicing.
The other question is, how many troops have got a sour taste for repubs because of Bush? Perhaps the old troops vote republican meme is going the way of the dodo.
Paul;
Is it not unbelievable given the voting problems of '00 and '04 we are no further along is solving these problem, than we are. This will be the subject matter on my radio show tommorow night, 9/27, with John Michael Spinelli a contributor to Ohio News Bureau via E Pluribus Media. We will be talking about just this subject. I invite Paul to join us, if he can, I would be honored to have him.
Bullseye Radio, www.tantal
Debate run down, tonight with two CSUS professors, join nus please.
Also, Paul, I am a Vet --- U.S. Army --4/68 --5/71 24P20 MOS
I agree, Paul. This isn't a Republican or Democratic issue, it's an American issue. The rights of all Vets should be protected.
Yes, fight and die for the misbegotten policies of the Bush crime family, but don't count on being able to vote.
What a country.
Rude satire of OSU 'fight' song, "Oh Ohio on to infamy..."
Them's fightin' words.
*Some* of us Buckeyes are trying to make OH a better place. Gov. Strickland's pushing to get 21st C. tech jobs here. Not all of us vote against our economic interests, as you seem to think.
The rethugs didn't like it huh... sniff sniff sniff.... smells like George.
The red-eyed monster is growing.
Good Luck my friends. May God preserve democracy and freedom for all.
Election problems and Ohio? Now, where have I heard that before?
Seems SOS Jennifer Brenner is also suing Diebold (now Premier) for their faulty voting machines:
http://ars
This is just more repub posturing to prevent citizens from casting a vote. Nothing new there. But what IS disturbing is that the general public has no idea. Thanks Paul, for getting the word out. Isn't it bad enough that our troops are trying to be good citizens, while bullets fly overhead?
Great article. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
This sounds a lot like what happened in the 2000 presidential election when Al Gore and his team tried to strictly enforce Florida's law against counting absentee ballots without proper postmarks in an attempt to prevent numerous military personnel serving overseas and on aircraft carriers from having their votes counted. [Oh, did you guys forget about that?]
..
Ah, soldiers are HEROES, except when they come home, or won't vote the "way they should".
Maybe they Republo-fascists should claim they "don't love America" enough.
.
Paul, I'm confused by your article.
You say that no one would threaten voting rights of our brave servicemen.
Let's look at the record.
(1) Someone started a war and sent them overseas to die and be maimed for no good reason.
(2) Someone didn't provide adequate equipment and material to them while they were over there.
(3) Someone really didn't have a solid plan for ending the war.
(4) Someone didn't provide adequate medical care to them when they returned from battle.
Do you think "someone" isn't going to draw the line at voting rights??????
Hey confused. These people did not enlist. Subject: Even Al Capone Would Be Blushing
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:51:41 -0700
Body count. In the last six months 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago , 221 killed in Iraq .
Sens. Barack Obama & Dick Durbin, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Gov. Rod Blogojevich, House leader Mike Madigan, Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, Mayor Richard Daley.....
State pension fund $44 Billion in debt, worst in country. Cook County ( Chicago ) sales tax 10.25% highest in country. (Look'em up if you want). Chicago school system one of the worst in country. This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois . He's gonna 'fix' Washington politics?
**You wouldn't think that anyone would knowingly threaten the voting rights of our nations' deployed service members and hospital-bound veterans. But an attempt is being made right now...** -- is what he wrote. . .
Thank you for bringing this up. No disenfranchisement is too dispicable for that greedy old party, is it? I signed your petition.
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