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Brown Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Ohio Early
Voting
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued the
following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4
vote, blocked early voting scheduled to begin in Ohio on
Sep. 30:
“It is disappointing that the partisan effort in Columbus to
make it harder for some Ohioans to vote has found five
allies on the U.S. Supreme Court,” Brown said. “We should be
removing barriers to the ballot, not creating them. The
attack by state leaders on early voting is a cynical effort
to obstruct access to the polls for working Ohioans,
minorities, and seniors. As a former Secretary of State of
Ohio, I believe that our democracy is strengthened when more
eligible voters can vote.” |
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Earlier this year, Brown applauded a decision by the U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ) to challenge attempts by Ohio’s
Secretary of State (SOS) to restrict early voting and same
day registration. The DOJ filed a statement of interest in
NAACP v. Husted, contesting that Ohio incorrectly
interpreted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in setting
election guidelines.
In May 2012, Brown and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin
(D-IL) held
an official hearing of
the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil
Rights, and Human Rights at the Carl B. Stokes United States
Federal Courthouse in Cleveland. The hearing examined the
impact of Ohio’s repealed voting law, H.B. 194. The law
would have reduced the number of early voting days from 35
to 17, eliminated voting on the weekend before an election,
removed the requirement that poll workers direct voters to
their proper precinct, and prohibited county boards of
elections from mailing unsolicited absentee ballots.
In June 2011,
Brown raised concerns over
highly restrictive photo identification voting laws that
were under consideration or already signed into law in
several states across the country. In a letter sent to DOJ,
Brown asked the agency to use its full powers as enacted in
the Voting Rights Act to review these laws and their
implementation.
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