Voting Advocacy Opportunity 2

It Looks Like the County is Going to Send Out Early Voting Applications.

 

Update from Previous Post.  On Monday we told you about the conflict at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections over sending out early voting ballot request forms.  As predicted Republican Secretary of State issued an order preventing any Boards of Elections in Ohio from sending out an unsolicited mailing to voters urging them to vote early.  Husted is claiming that smaller counties don't have the money to send out unsolicited mail so no county should do it.  This does not make sense since it saves money and time for the large counties to encourage early voting.  It prevents the long lines in high population density counties and not having to hire large numbers of workers on election day to handle the crowds.  Think how long the lines would have been in Cuyahoga County in 2008 if the 50% who voted by mail had to show up in person and vote.  The good news is that advocates contacted Cuyahoga County officials and urged the County to send out the mail instead of the Board of Elections.  County Executive Ed Fitzgerald announced that he was going to ask County Council on Monday to authorize this mailing.  This is good news, and you can call your County Council member to thank them and urge them to vote to send out this mailing.  We hope that at least in Cuyahoga County this is not a partisan issue, and all Council members will see the value of urging people to vote early in this upcoming election.  

It brings up the reminder that Cuyahoga County voters need to sign the petition to get House Bill 194 on the ballot next year.  If advocates can collect 300,000 signatures, the changes in voting procedures would be on hold and Ohioans can decide if this limiting early voting was a good idea.  We need to decide if not informing voters that they are at the wrong precinct is a good idea.  We need to decide if large counties should be allowed to send out postage paid early voting applications.  NEOCH and the Cleveland Tenants Organization are gathering signatures.  If you would like to help please call the office at 216/432-0540. 

Brian

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