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Court Allows Challenge of Ohio Voters



NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. federal appeals court on Tuesday reversed the rulings of two lower courts in Ohio that prevented the Republican Party from sending challengers to polling places across the state, reports said on Tuesday.
The New York Times and the Associated Press reported that a three-judge panel of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled to grant emergency stays of two federal judges' orders issued Monday that barred political parties' voter challengers in the state.

The court said that while there is a strong public interest in letting registered voters vote freely, there is also "strong public interest in permitting legitimate statutory processes to operate to preclude voting by those who are not entitled to vote," the AP quoted the ruling as saying.

The Times said one lawyer for a pair of Cincinnati civil rights activists who had challenged the Republican plans to challenge voters said he would appeal Tuesday morning's decision to the United State Supreme Court.

Ohio has become a focal point this election season, with the state being seen as pivotal to the electoral fortunes of both President Bush and his Democratic challenger, Senator John Kerry.

Both political parties have undertaken mass efforts to register new voters.

While Republicans have contended that challengers will weed out voter fraud, Democrats charge that the activity is tantamount to voter intimidation, and will disenfranchise numerous voters from minority and low-income neighborhoods.

Hurrah for Bush trying to buy his presendency again.

Milt Palacio

Exactly. Let's see how many minority votes they can illegally suppress this year!

LittleMilkJug

How can somebody in the US vote if they are not entitled to? Don't you have to have some kind of ID to prove who you are and that you are on the electral role?
Confused.

86amanda86

Yes you do have to show ID, and proof of residence. It's actually the democrats who have been reported to try to register dead voters and illegal aliens. Yet there they were ready to charge the republican with voter fraud before one vote had been cast.

I'm Not Your Boy Toy

not where i voted. i didnt have to show my drivers license or voters registration card. just went in, filled out the lil sheet, got my ballot, voted, then ran it thru the scan tron.

Mio

It's the same way here in Canada. When you go to your polling station you need to show your election card that you get in the mail each election. I had to show it last year when I voted for mayor. Not sure why I had my election card, kinda strage, but meh, oh well.

Katis

It also depends on the state. In some states you have to register beforehand and you need a bill and an id for that I believe, then when you go to the polls some states require either your election card or a photo id. In WI you can register the day of the election if you bring in a utility bill, even a cell phone bill. If you registered beforehand they often don't even require an id of any sort, you just show up and tell them your name and address.