Common Cause Blog

Ohio update #4: more on provisional ballots

Most voters at most polling places in Ohio today have voted without trouble, save for generally long lines. But the primary cause for concern in Ohio today has been provisional ballots, which has affected thousands of voters. We picked up on this problem this morning.

The state board of elections and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner have been responsive, according to the Election Protection teams in Ohio. Now the Assistant Secretary of State has, in fact, been dispatched to deal with the provisional ballot issue and is coordinating with all of their regional liaisons to work directly with local Boards of Election. Two major problems have arisen:

Ohio update #3

A bit more on Ohio. I just wrote about the wrongful use of provisional ballots, a repeat of a 2006 problem.

Turns out there's more in Ohio that mirrors 2006 and 2004: voters being inexplicably dropped from the rolls.

Voters in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) and Franklin County (Columbus) are reporting that:
* after voting from same address for years, they suddenly have disappeared from the list at polls
* they received a voter registration card/notice of registration and precinct, as recently as this fall -- yet are not on the poll registry
* they are on the statewide database (DB) but not on the poll registry

Ohio update #2

Ohio is facing the same problem they faced in 2006: voters being forced to cast provisional ballots when by law they should be casting regular ballots.

It's a frustrating problem; it's hard to tell how wide the scope of it is, but all signs point to a statewide issue. Here are the basics:

The provisional ballot problem largely stems from a misinterpretation of the state's new ID requirements. Voters can demonstrate their eligibility by presenting identification such as a utility bill or a driver's license, even if the license has an old address, but dozens of voters report poll workers who did not accept such ID and forced them to cast a provisional ballot. While a regular paper ballot would be counted today, a provisional ballot may or may not be counted within ten days. Voters casting provisional ballots are advised to return to their BOE and present additional ID within that time frame - an unnecessary burden for voters who have followed the law and should have their votes counted immediately.

Long lines in Columbus, OH

The election protection hotline, 1-866-OURVOTE, has been humming this morning. In Ohio--the state I'll be tracking throughout the day--the first reports are of some long lines in the early morning hours, caused in several instances by polling machines not working.

One call report said, "Voter arrived at polling place before 7 am and left without voting because there was only a single line for all precincts and it was very long, and voter had to leave for work. In past years there had been multiple lines."

Ohio election reform - a work in progress

Common Cause/Ohio wants to congratulate Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for her efforts to "Get it Straight in 2008," at least in Ohio. She promised to work for open, fair and honest elections, and having implemented one of the most extensive testing programs in the country, she has bravely taken on vendors and election reform activists alike. Her recommendations released last week brought compliments for her efforts, but also some criticism for the substance.

Under the Influence and Out of Control

Last spring Common Cause released a report entitled "Under the Influence." �The study showed how, by making almost $900,000 in political contributions, the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association of Ohio used the state's most recent campaign finance "reform" law, quadrupling contribution limits, to buy influence in the Ohio legislature.

That influence won out again, in late September, when the Association lobbyists were able to cut a deal, behind closed doors, to persuade legislators to put a ban on direct shipments to Ohio consumers from large out of state wineries, convincing legislators they just were trying to protect Ohio's wine industry.

The myth of campaign finance reform in Ohio and the clean money alternative

Akron Beacon Journal's Dennis Willard, last Sunday, referred to Ohio's campaign reform efforts as resembling the mythological figure Sisyphus who was condemned to an eternity of doing the meaningless task of rolling a boulder uphill then watching it roll back down again.

This imagery could stem from Ohio Election Commission Chairman Martin Parks' comment to William Todd, the lawyer representing the defendant in the latest campaign finance challenge before the commission, that his organization faces an "uphill climb."