Case of actual Ohio guy being prevented from registering to vote

[kpete]

Case of actual Ohio guy being prevented from registering to vote
October 10th, 2008 1:44 pm by greenboy

Yesterday I warned that the Repugs were cleverly ‘purging’ registration rolls again to suppress Dem turnout. Well today, Film Critic Buddy was complaining to me that Ohio wouldn’t let him register to vote! Film Critic Buddy, originally from New Jersey, moved to Ohio 15 months ago for work. He’s been faithfully paying Ohio state taxes, patronizing Ohio businesses, and generally - living in Ohio.

But Ohio doesn’t want him to vote! An African American living in Hamilton County, Film Critic Buddy noted numerous election ‘irregularities’ in a previous local election around polling places in lower income and minority neighborhoods - i.e. polling stations that closed early after running out of ballots, polling stations that opened late.

In this election Ohio has changed the rules, to the point now where an Ohio voter can potentially register and vote in the same day. How is that working out?

Well Film Critic Buddy has been trying to register in Ohio for over two months now. First he filed for an absentee ballot. That registration was rejected on a technicality - the stupid company he works for had his old address filed on his payroll records (ignoring, of course, his numerous other ‘proofs of residency’ he submitted). He got that corrected, then tried again to register at a registrar’s office. They wouldn’t let him vote ’same day’ because of the previous rejection, but told him that everything was in order.

Today, he just got notification that his registration was denied because there is ‘no record of his residency in Ohio’ - in spite of the fact that last year he filed his state income tax!! Anyway he is thinking of giving up as the 30 day advance registration notice is now up, and filing for an absentee ballot in New Jersey - but I am encouraging him to contact one of the numerous groups like People for the American Way (the group I volunteered for to assist voters in 2004), which offer legal services to help get this sorted out.

more at:
http://needlenose.com/wp/2008/10/10/actual-case-of-voter-being-prevented-from-registration/

[robinlynne]

1. kpete, i will get you in touch with ohio EP people offsite. There are great people

working there, much better than pfaw.
Robin

[Eric J in MN]

2. "old address filed on his payroll records"

I never heard of a state checking the address of a payroll record when a citizen tries to register to vote.

[ThomCat]

5. Maybe, but it conflicts with a later excuse.

If they confirm residency with current tax information then they might be checking the payroll information on file. That's the information that will be used for tax purposes this year.

However, if they're checking that payroll information, and clearly they are, then they can't claim they have no proof that he is a state resident. They would know that he has been paying state taxes.

It really does sound like a deliberate set-up, finding any remotely available excuse to deny registrations.

[robinlynne]

3. shit, kpete, thought it was a friend of yours... didn't realize it was a quote from someone else.

[bertman]

4. Just multiply this bullshit by a MILLION elections offices and think about the prospects.

Infuriating.

[farmboxer]

6. America is France, "Before" the Revoluton!

The rich do not want the poor/middlelcass to vote!

I would like to see a free election before I die. Will I see it?

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Here's the real question:

When did the county Voting Registrar offices get taken over by the Repugs?
And the Sec. of State (s)?
When did the League of Women Voters, which had been the non-partisan group holding debates,
when did they get run out of town?
When did the Repug. Party start issuing voting ballots?


We gotta get back to the way it was.....