In Ohio Union Battle, a Call to Video the Vote

[TOOLZ]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-wellington-ennis/in-ohio-union-battle-a-ca_b_1080442.html

A coordinator for Video the Vote Ohio, J.R. McMillan, explains that this election year presents an opportunity to prepare for the 2012 elections, while taking stock of the fallout from the foreclosure crisis.

"Of significant concern this year is the potential for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans to be denied their right to vote as a direct result of the mortgage crisis which has had an enormous impact a state already facing 15 consecutive years of increasing foreclosures. Layoffs, work stoppages and lack of new hiring, especially in the auto industry and larger manufacturing sector, have pushed many more into home foreclosure or an unexpected move in search of steady work. One of the often unforeseen consequences of such widespread relocations is the adverse affect moving has on voter identification and eligibility.


Even those lucky enough to move from a home into an apartment in the same school district or general vicinity may be surprised to find their polling locations have changed. Many have yet to update their voter registration, something of little immediate concern for those trying to find a job or just feed their families.

Worse still, Ohioans who may be in the process of foreclosure or living with friends and family while looking for work or a place they can afford, many not have the necessary documentation to prove residency. Drivers' licenses will still have their former addresses, and those living on the kindness and compassion of others aren't likely to have a utility bill in their names.

Even with Ohio's proposed voter ID law failing to move forward in the Ohio Senate and opposed by Ohio Secretary of State Job Husted, hundreds of thousands of Ohio voters who have been forced to move since last November are at risk. As if losing their jobs and losing their homes weren't bad enough, many Ohioans will discover on Election Day that they have also lost their right to vote."

READ FULL STORY: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-wellington-ennis/in-ohio-union-battle-a-ca_b_1080442.html