Voter Suppression
Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is at it again, abusing his power by disenfranchising already underrepresented communities in the coming elections.
Secretary of State Blackwell effectively shut down all voter registration efforts in Ohio when he enacted regulations a week and a half ago that severely restrict the operations of groups seeking to register traditionally disenfranchised voters. Under these new regulations, compensated voter registration workers must turn in the forms they collect directly to elections officials, and not to the group sponsoring the voter registration drive. This means that voter registration groups can’t keep good records - and that means they can’t do the necessary follow up to make sure the voters actually make it onto the voting rolls (and we all know we’ve seen problems with that in the past!).
As if that weren’t enough, these new rules also threaten criminal penalties for individuals registering voters if they do not exactly conform to complicated, burdensome procedures. The threat of criminal prosecution will have such a chilling effect that no one will want to risk engaging in voter registration efforts that expand democracy and empower their communities, and poor people, young people and African Americans will be shut out of our democracy.
On June 26, the Ohio Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) will have the opportunity to reject the Secretary of State’s new policy. Even if you don’t live in Ohio, your voice matters - this type of blatant voter suppression in any state sets a dangerous precedent that all Americans have an obligation to speak out against.
People For the American Way Foundation is launching an online petition against Blackwell’s unjust regulations. If you sign it, an e-mail will go directly to JCARR members registering your opposition to this blatant voter suppression.
Secretary of State Blackwell effectively shut down all voter registration efforts in Ohio when he enacted regulations a week and a half ago that severely restrict the operations of groups seeking to register traditionally disenfranchised voters. Under these new regulations, compensated voter registration workers must turn in the forms they collect directly to elections officials, and not to the group sponsoring the voter registration drive. This means that voter registration groups can’t keep good records - and that means they can’t do the necessary follow up to make sure the voters actually make it onto the voting rolls (and we all know we’ve seen problems with that in the past!).
As if that weren’t enough, these new rules also threaten criminal penalties for individuals registering voters if they do not exactly conform to complicated, burdensome procedures. The threat of criminal prosecution will have such a chilling effect that no one will want to risk engaging in voter registration efforts that expand democracy and empower their communities, and poor people, young people and African Americans will be shut out of our democracy.
On June 26, the Ohio Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) will have the opportunity to reject the Secretary of State’s new policy. Even if you don’t live in Ohio, your voice matters - this type of blatant voter suppression in any state sets a dangerous precedent that all Americans have an obligation to speak out against.
People For the American Way Foundation is launching an online petition against Blackwell’s unjust regulations. If you sign it, an e-mail will go directly to JCARR members registering your opposition to this blatant voter suppression.