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Updated 05.26.09
The right to vote has
been called the
“vital principle of self-government and individual liberty.”
When you register to vote and participate in elections, you play a
critical role in preserving our democracy.
What’s happening in Ohio
Election Reform
The ACLU of Ohio monitors state and local government for any changes
to election policy, including voting systems.
In April 2008, the ACLU of Ohio released a
report detailing
problems that occurred during the March 2008 primary election, along
with recommended remedies.
In September 2007, the ACLU of Ohio released a report on systemic Ohio
election problems from 2004-present. The report urged the Secretary of State and Boards of Elections
to address these concerns prior to the 2008 election.
Read the press
release and
list
of recommendations.
Litigation
Read about voting rights
lawsuits filed by the ACLU in Ohio .
What’s Happening Nationally
In June 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a pair of cases upholding the constitutionality of voter ID requirements: Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, No. 07-21 (an
ACLU case) and Indiana Democratic Party v. Rokita, No. 07-25.
Read more about these cases.
Get Active!
- Register to vote and participate in
elections. The
Secretary of
State oversees the election process in each of Ohio's 88
counties.
- Democracy needs an operator! Become a poll worker.
Elections cannot be held without poll workers. You are eligible if
you are a registered voter, are available for training sessions, and
can work on Election Day. Compensation is available. Please contact your
local board of elections
for details.
- Young people can be poll workers too. Ohio law allows 17-year-old high school seniors
to serve as poll workers. The ACLU of Ohio encourages
young people to get active!
Information for students
Information for teachers
Read Staff Attorney Carrie Davis' April 22, 2008 testimony
in support of student poll workers
before the Ohio Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee.
- Host an ACLU Freedom Files voting rights party. Invite your friends
and neighbors to view a Freedom Files episode about voting rights and
learn about elections in Ohio. We supply the material, you supply the
get-together. To learn more about the ACLU TV series, click
here. For help
setting up a party, send an
email to the ACLU office.
Resources
Ohio Secretary of
State's website
Cuyahoga Election
Review Panel Final Report, July 20, 2006
Our
Voter Empowerment Card gives you all the information you need to
make sure your vote counts.
Can Homeowner’s Associations Regulate Political Speech?
Voter information from League of Women Voters of Ohio
Voting rights updates across the country from the
national ACLU
Election reform and voting rights
blog
by Dan Tokaji, ACLU of Ohio board member, volunteer attorney, and voting
rights advocate
Information and insight on the laws governing federal, state, and local
elections from Ohio State University's
Moritz
College of Law
Read
From Registration to Recounts: The Election Ecosystems of Five
Midwestern States, published by Election Law @ Moritz.
While Ohio restores voting rights to people convicted of felonies, many
states do not, garnering international condemnation. Read
Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Also see the ACLU report
Race & Ethnicity in America: Turning a Blind Eye to Injustice.
Read voting rights press releases and news articles in our
News Center.
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