Cle PD takes strong position against HB3, the vote-suppression bill

[Kolesar]

Try to vote; we dare you
Sunday, December 11, 2005

There is scant evidence of voter fraud in Ohio. Which means the Ohio General Assembly has embarked on an enthusiastic campaign to stamp out something that doesn't exist.

House Bill 3 passed the House overwhelmingly in May and is moving quickly through the Senate. No surprise there: Unnecessary legislation frequently sails through that august body and into law, while critical issues of lasting importance to the state languish.

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We understand the public policy reasons for limiting the political involvement of persons holding these positions. A highly political secretary of state or chief law enforcer creates the disturbing appearance of partiality. These high-profile officials should be on a short leash. But there are also First Amendment issues at work here, so the legislature must be careful in its reach. Also worthy of note is that less than five weeks ago, Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected an amendment to the state Constitution that would have imposed similar restrictions on the secretary of state.

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The requirement of mandatory photo identification before voting is unnecessary. The same is true of voter registration restrictions. More likely, as we approach an election year during which Republicans will be forced to try to overcome the damage done to their cause by a series of Statehouse scandals, this seems simply like a ploy to suppress voter turnout - especially in the state's urban areas.


http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/113420709828750.xml&coll=2

Ohio needs some civil-rights workers to come up from Mississippi to restore our voting rights. Mississippi Summer=Ohio Winter.

[Kolesar]

1. Akron Beacon-Journal opposes HB3

Suppress the vote?

Statehouse Republicans hope to use the cover of reform to make voting more burdensome for many Ohioans


Having defeated a package of constitutional amendments on the Nov. 8 statewide ballot, Ohio Republicans are still worked up about election reform. They want to pass some of their own. Too bad the same criticisms leveled at most of the proposals of Reform Ohio Now -- that they were needlessly complex solutions to illusory problems -- could just as easily be applied to a bill being discussed in the Republican-controlled Senate this week.

In a pre-Election Day effort to blunt momentum on Issue 2 (permitting no-fault absentee voting, no excuses needed), Republicans won passage of their own version. They loaded the bill with requirements that registered voters wishing to cast ballots early produce identification. An elections bill now moving through the Senate would impose similar identification requirements for all voters.

Any number of documents could be produced, from driver's licenses to paychecks, utility bills to Social Security numbers, which would allow voters to cast a provisional ballot, which would be counted later if the information can be verified.

C.J. Prentiss of Cleveland, the Senate minority leader, took a look at Republican colleague Jeff Jacobson's language and came to the right conclusion: The Republican measure is mostly about voter suppression. Prentiss and her Democratic colleagues have the better idea, making voting easier for those who are already properly registered.
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http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/editorial/13338910.htm

[Kolesar]

2. I could kick myself

there's a pun there