Outrageous, irrational and just plain nonsense describes Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell’s recent directives concerning voter registration cards and voter precinct rules.
For those that are not aware, Blackwell has ordered that all Ohio voter registration cards be printed on thick, 80 lb. stock paper. Blackwell’s new edict directs registration officials to send back to the voter a new 80-pound weight registration forms to fill out. County board officials are already swamped with completed registration cards from voters who are trying to make that last minute effort to get themselves registered.
First of all, the micrometer difference between the two registration cards is preposterously absurd in regard to whether the person has correctly filled out the form. Second, what is to happen if the county boards are still overloaded with registration forms by the time the registration deadline of Oct. 4 rolls around? Voters who are sent cards to fill out again will not have another chance to get their correct paperwork in.
Another directive from Blackwell within recent days has hit Ohio voters harder than all four of Florida’s hurricanes. It states that a registered voter who does not appear at the correct voting precinct will not receive a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is given to voters who say they are registered to vote but whose names don’t appear on voter rolls on Election Day.
After the 2000 election fiasco, Congress enacted the Help America Vote Act in 2002 which states provisional ballots would be given as a way to ensure voters weren’t wrongly turned away at the polls because their registrations were misplaced or misfiled.
From what I gather, Blackwell sure doesn’t give two hoots about that law. Turning away voters in the most important key swing state sounds like the best idea to any Republican who fears this election might be impeding a presidential re-election. Hmmm. Kenneth Blackwell is a Republican playing partisan politics, if you ask me. Mayor Michael Coleman was quoted saying, “Provisional voting can become the next ‘chad’ … We can’t allow that in our state, and it’s happening before our very eyes.”
So my advice to all voters is: When you have to complete your registration form again, make sure you put a county you know you will be in when Nov. 2 arrives, or else you will find yourself without a paddle up Partisan Creek.
Adam FriedmanJuniorStrategic communications and political science majorsSpokesman – Students for Kerry/Campus Dems
