Ohio Has 3 Days To Set Up New-Voter Checks

Federal Judge Rules In Favor Of GOP, Against State Official Who Said Requirement Will Disenfranchise New Voters

(CBS/AP)  A federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered Ohio's top elections official to set up a system by Friday to verify the eligibility of newly registered voters and make the information available to the state's 88 county election boards.

The full 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld a lower court ruling that Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner must use other government records to check thousands of new voters for registration fraud.

A three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit had disagreed last week. The full court's ruling, in which nine of 16 judges concurred, overturns that decision.

Ohio Republicans had sued Brunner, a Democrat.

About 666,000 Ohioans have registered to vote since January, with many doing so before the contested Democratic presidential primary election last March between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. The presidential election is Nov. 4.

Some of the thousands of newly registered voters were signed up by workers for the non-profit activist organization ACORN, the practices of which the GOP are currently demanding an investigation into.

As questions about fraudulent voter registrations at ACORN offices grow nationwide, the organization defended its efforts Tuesday to sign up 1.3 million people, a record number of new voters for the upcoming presidential election.

Since the primary, Ohio Republicans have filed a series of challenges to the registrations and Brunner's administration of election rules. They have helped voters file lawsuits against local boards of election over registration rules, absentee ballot requests and a weeklong period that allowed registration and voting on the same day.

Brunner previously said sufficient systems exist to verify new voter registrations and there was no way to set up the court-ordered system with such speed.

"It is imperative that voters not be disenfranchised because of federal government red tape, misstated technical information or glitches in databases beyond the control of voters or the secretary of state," Brunner said in a statement Tuesday. "... Our goal is to protect the rights of all eligible voters to vote and to have their votes count."

Spokesman Patrick Gallaway said it had not yet been determined whether the state would appeal Tuesday's ruling.

Last week, the three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit had sided with Brunner, but the full panel sided with the GOP and U.S. District Judge George C. Smith in Columbus after hearing an appeal. Smith had ordered Brunner to develop a way to verify voter registration information and make it available to local election boards.

The federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the current system "is essentially useless - not unlike asking for a drink of water and being given access to a fire hose at full volume - and will do nothing to address the anti-fraud objective."

Brunner argued that it would take two to three days to create the necessary computer programs, and said nothing in the federal Help America Vote Act required her to do what the district court ordered.

Tuesday's order directs Brunner to verify new registrations by comparing that information with data from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles or the Social Security Administration.

"As far as we can tell, the problem with the current system is not that it is insufficiently user-friendly but that it is effectively useless," the majority said in its ruling.

Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett accused Brunner of pursuing a partisan agenda and said "her delay in providing this matching system leaves little time for election officials to act on questionable registrations."

Bennett said Brunner was destroying the public's trust in Ohio's elections system.

"Her shameful actions to disenfranchise Republican absentee voters, block the transparency of early voting and refuse the proper verification of newly registered voters have rightfully damaged her credibility as a nonpartisan election administrator," he said.

Polling in the state shows Obama, now the Democratic presidential nominee, slightly ahead of Republican challenger John McCain. Both campaigns have worked hard in the state, which has 20 electoral votes and gave President Bush a second term in 2004.

Elsewhere in the state, the state GOP has requested information on voters in Licking County, in central Ohio, who registered and cast an early ballot on the same day during a weeklong period. The request is similar to one made last week by the Republican sheriff of Greene County that infuriated Democrats and voting rights groups, and was withdrawn a day later.

The GOP has said it is concerned that the same-day voting period could have made it easier to commit voter fraud.

[joezap5]

Acorn was the victim of their own stupid quota system. They paid the inner city poor by the hour and "suggested" (quota) that about 14 new registrants per day would be acceptable.

If you''ve ever registered voters in districts that are being combed by many political organizations at once, during a hectic political season, you see that the region quickly becomes saturated. They should''ve known that once their cash paid, low income, workers were striking out they would resort to fudging the forms.

The fact that the Acorn employees registered fictitious names like Zooopy Zooopster And John Q. Public, in no way comes close to voter fraud! The Irony is that Acorn, in a way, is the one who was defrauded. But, by being that stupid, they deserve it.

The worst part of the Acorn affair is that the disgusting, Anti-American, Voter suppressing, Civil Rights destroying GOP is able to lie and use this to their advantage.

After Kathleen Harris & Co. purged tens of thousands of legitimately registered voters in Florida In 2000 (An election Gore "lost" by less than 270 votes), the GOP will try to claim that this is the reason McCain is going to loose in a landslide election. Sick Irony...

[koko98-2009]

Another activist Judge. Off with his head.

[dburfears]

-- MORE --

FEW ACTUAL DOCUMENTED CASES OF "VOTER FRAUD"

The Republican HYSTERIA about "voter fraud" is NOT based on any PRINCIPLE other that to DISENFRANCHISE MILLIONS of AMERICAN VOTERS who might not vote Repuiblican.

Feds convict 26 NATIONWIDE of voter fraud in 2002-2005
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/16/voter-fraud-study/

Only 254 prosecutions (NOT CONVICTIONS) for voter fraud across the NATION per year:
http://www.slate.com/id/2136776/

CA: Only 253 cases (not convictions) of voter fraud in 10 YEARS
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-14-voterfraud-allegations_N.htm?csp=23&RM_Exclude=aol


SD 2002: NO CASES of Voter fraud after Republican rants during campaign:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/013581.php

Few ACTUAL CASES of voter fraud over FIVE YEARS:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/washington/12fraud.html

FEDERAL investigation by US Attorney (BUSH APPOINTEE) finds NO voter fraud despite BUSH PRESSUDE:
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/330/david-iglesias.html

DOJ - ONLY 89 CHARGED NATIONWIDE over 3 YEARS. ONLY 52 CONVICTIONS:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23731#continueA

Only 254 prosecutions (NOT CONVICTIONS) for voter fraud across the NATION per year:
http://www.slate.com/id/2136776/

REGISTRATION FRAUD" is not "VOTER FRAUD"

This was NOT an effort to CREATE VOTES IN THE ELECTION. NONE of these false REGISTRATIONS were going to result in actual VOTES.

"Mickey Mouse" will NOT show up at the polls to VOTE.

[dburfears]

Why do Republican operatives HATE American Democracy?

ONLY 26 DOCUMENTED CASES OF "VOTER FRAUD"

TO STOP 26 cases of VOTER FRAUD, Republicans are trying to DENY MILLIONS of good AMERICANS their RIGHT TO VOTE

There were 26- yes TWENTY SIX - documented instances of VOTER FRAUD in the ENTIRE COUNTRY last OVER THREE YEARS around the 2004 Presidential Election (2002 - 2005). 20 were people ineligible to vote who actually voted, and 6 were people who voted twice.

ONLY TWENTY SIX

TWENTY SIX

26

This was after a SIMILAR disingenuous "voter fraud" effort by the Republicans in 2004.

[dburfears]

FEW ACTUAL DOCUMENTED CASES OF "VOTER FRAUD"

The Republican HYSTERIA about "voter fraud" is NOT based on any PRINCIPLE other that to DISENFRANCHISE AMERICAN VOTERS who might not vote Repuiblican.

Feds convict 26 NATIONWIDE of voter fraud in 2002-2005
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/16/voter-fraud-study/

CA: Only 253 cases (not convictions) of voter fraud in 10 YEARS
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-14-voterfraud-allegations_N.htm?csp=23&RM_Exclude=aol

SD 2002: NO CASES of Voter fraud after Republican rants during campaign:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/013581.php

Few ACTUAL CASES of voter fraud over FIVE YEARS:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/washington/12fraud.html

FDERAL investigation by US Attorney (BUSH APPOINTEE) finds NO voter fraud despite BUSH PRESSUDE:
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/330/david-iglesias.html

REGISTRATION FRAUD" is not "VOTER FRAUD"

ALL OF THESE new QUESTIONED REGISTRATIONS will be REJECTED by the county registrars. So NO VOTER FRAID will occur.

This was NOT an effort to CREATE VOTES IN THE ELECTION. NONE of these false REGISTRATIONS were going to result in actual VOTES.

"Mickey Mouse" will NOT show up at the polls to VOTE.

[frankie2fing]

DBURRED FUR....

ONLY 26, eh...

Then what are you worried about?

I have a feeling you are, indeed, worried or you wouldn''''t be making such a fuss about cleaning up those "26" lousy votes.
Posted by LIBslapper

Your response makes no sense (not surprising since most neocons can not hold a conversation without their daily [bread] talking points). Only 45 more minutes to limpaugh for your daily download.

[dburfears]

TO STOP 26 cases of VOTER FRAUD, Republicans are trying to DENY MILLIONS of good AMERICANS their RIGHT TO VOTE

There were 26- yes TWENTY SIX - documented instances of VOTER FRAUD in the ENTIRE COUNTRY last OVER THREE YEARS around the 2004 Presidential Election (2003 - 2005). 20 were people ineligible to vote who actually voted, and 6 were people who voted twice.

ONLY TWENTY SIX

TWENTY SIX

26

[frankie2fing]

Republican Tactics 101.
If you don''''''''t have the votes, then stop people from voting.
Posted by blind

Democrat Tactics 101
If you don''''t have the votes, manufacture them, and when you get caught say something against the Republicans.

(and your choice of sigs is fitting)
Posted by checkthepast

Exactly how are the Democrats manufacturing votes? Just because someone is registering fictious name, a problem for BOTH SIDES, does not mean it will translate into a vote. First, the name has to be verified with an actual address, then someone has to show up. Obviously, Mickey Mouse is not going to show up to vote. These ''workers'' are paid per name and the incidence of fakes is a problem for both sides. Most are found in the verification stage, the rest are left on the rolls election day. Now if you want to talk about Redumblican CAGING, you actually have election day illegallities occurring.

[dburfears]

ONLY 26 DOCUMENTED CASES OF "VOTER FRAUD"

There were 26- yes TWENTY SIX - documented instances of VOTER FRAUD in the ENTIRE COUNTRY last OVER THREE YEARS around the 2004 Presidential Election (2003 - 2005). 20 were people ineligible to vote who actually voted, and 6 were people who voted twice.

ONLY TWENTY SIX

TWENTY SIX

26

This was after a SIMILAR disingenuous "voter fraud" effort by the Republicans in 2004.

The Republican HYSTERIA about "voter fraud" is NOT based on any PRINCIPLE other that to DISENFRANCHISE AMERICAN VOTERS who might not vote Repuiblican.

"REGISTRATION FRAUD" is not "VOTER FRAUD"

ALL OF THESE new QUESTIONED REGISTRATIONS will be REJECTED by the county registrars. So NO VOTER FRAID will occur.

This was NOT an effort to CREATE VOTES IN THE ELECTION. NONE of these false REGISTRATIONS were going to result in actual VOTES.

"Mickey Mouse" will NOT show up at the polls to VOTE.

These false registrations were done by PAID EMPLOYEES TRYING TO UP THEIR REGISTRATION NUMBERS to make themselves look good. These "phantoms" were NEVER going to SHOW UP at the polls! So NO VOTER FRAUD would have occurred.

So this "Voter Fraud" is really just another FRAUD by McCain, and the GOP in an attempt to throw doubt into the campaign by a candidate who is losing badly.

[checkthepast]

Republican Tactics 101.
If you don''''t have the votes, then stop people from voting.

Posted by blind

Democrat Tactics 101
If you don''t have the votes, manufacture them, and when you get caught say something against the Republicans.

(and your choice of sigs is fitting)

[dburfears]

REPUBLICAN STRATEGY

If you can''t WIN their votes, then KEEP AMERICANS FROM VOTING any way you can.

Republicans HATE democracy.

[credibility2]

The Dems would never tolerate voter registration fraud without writhing, kicking, screaming, whining and complaining about it. Isn''t it ironic that Obama, who has consistently championed the likes of Acorn is sanctioning their criminality and fraudulence by remaining silent since Acorn''s actions benefit him, which he is fully aware of. How tragic that Obama and his supporters only care about breaking the law, being frauds, lying, stealing, etc. and actually have convinced themselves that it''s perfectly acceptable for this type of behavior. Again, Obama and his supporters mantra is from the radical black Muslim Malcolm X, and that is "by any means necessary". This was many in a cast of anti-American characters that Obama has worshiped at the feet of and chose as a model of someone and something to aspire to.

[briannorwood]

Look. Lets call it like it is. The GOP knows that any effort to make it easier to register and vote is bad news for them.

They fought the voting rights initiatives of the 60''s and have fought every initiative since then which would relax voter restrictions (i.e. the Motor Voter bills).

The party of patriotism sure doesn''t seem very patriotic to me.

[blindhowlin]

"ACORN is what is good about this Country"

Speech by John McCain 2006

[creeper00]

"It is imperative that voters not be disenfranchised because of federal government red tape, misstated technical information or glitches..."

Excuse me? This from a woman whose party nominee had ALL his opponents removed from the ballot in Illinois on technicalities, including the woman who mentored him?

It''s official. Democrats are now even more crooked than Republicans.

(signed)
Former Democrat

[blindhowlin]

Republican Tactics 101.

If you don''t have the votes, then stop people from voting.

Politics First!

[creeper00]

What? Does that mean the Dallas Cowboys can''t vote in Ohio?

I feel sorry for the ACORN staffers. They spent all that time filling out Mickey Mouse registration forms for their candidate and it''s all going to be for naught. Will they dock the pay of their "volunteers" for every registration that''s tossed?

[ajaxtheleast]

Usually close in Ohio means Repubs through
on-sight intimidation can swing it.

Stepping a rung higher in technique
shows a little more anxiety
this election.

These "debates" are pre-arranged to
assure that nobody ever TOTALLY
blows an election,,,wont happen.

These things are first run through
with answers recorded to teleprompters
and any pratfalls by either nominee
are smoothed over.

Anyone with knowledgeable dispute of
this statement I''d gladly listen to.

But So far after a few presidential
elections of stating this assertion no
"knowledgeable" rebutal has
been forthcoming.,,,,

CBS??,,,,Anyone??

But if ANYONE can blow it in one
of these debates you''ll see him
in action tonight.

[BlueInWI]

Re: "Therefore, MORON, IF no ID is required, then DaDamien and LaQueasha, who registed 25 times, get to VOTE 25 times!"

LaQueasha and DaDamien (and Francisco and Moses) are lucky if they can vote once as they don''t have a car and therefore no Drivers License, and they have to stand in line 3 hours to vote in their neighborhood and can''t get time off from their hourly job at WalMart.

Meanwhile Roger, Jennifer, and Nathaniel can drive their LandRover over to their polling place and vote in 15-20 minutes and grab a 2 hour lunch on the way back to the office.

For all you neo-fascists that want to restrict voting rights I''ll make a deal. I''ll give you voter ID cards if you give me Fri-Sunday voting 6-9PM each day so that we can spread out the crowd, reduce congestion, avoid conflicts with work schedules, and give those who are falsely blocked from voting time to prove their eligibility.

So far I haven''t met a single neo-fascist that is willing to agree to this compromise - which proves my point that they only want people like them to be able to vote.

[zykracosmos]

and another thing...
Judges appointed by Republicans have become so partisan that they hvae prostituted the entire judicial branch of government (right up to the Supreme Court, where the GOP appointed justices appointed Bush president over Gore- the clear winner).
In this case in Cincinnati, it is the same old ballgame (W appointed the last 8 judges there- all implanted to do the will of the GOP, and 10 of the 116 judges there were appointed by GOP presidents going back to Reagan). One non-partisan ruling by a court panel is overruled after Republicans appeal to what they know is a majority of activist Republican implants.
Need any more reason to keep another Republican out of the White House?