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10.28.08
ACLU Says, ‘Refuse to Leave!’
Tells Qualified Voters Not to Leave Polling Place Until Given a Provisional Ballot
CLEVELAND- The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio unveiled a new
campaign today targeted towards voters who may be wrongfully purged from
voter registration lists or challenged on Election Day. The “Refuse to
Leave” campaign urges all voters to stay and politely request a
provisional ballot if a poll worker states they cannot issue them a
regular ballot.
ACLU of Ohio Executive Director Christine Link said, “Ohio has seen an
unprecedented amount of partisan manipulation this election season.
Last-minute maneuvering could threaten to disenfranchise some voters who
may be challenged at polls, bring insufficient identification or are
purged from voter registration lists because of clerical errors like
typos and misspellings.”
“Provisional ballots are a last resort for most voters but they are a
far better alternative than not casting a vote at all,” added Link.
“Many poll workers around the state are less familiar with the rules
surrounding provisional ballots, so voters must be knowledgeable and
insistent that they receive one if they are denied a regular ballot.”
If a voter is denied a ballot because they are not found on the voter
registration list, are successfully challenged by a precinct judge or do
not provide sufficient identification, they may still cast a provisional
ballot. These ballots are held for ten days until they are verified by
the county Board of Elections and then are added to the other votes
already counted. If voters use a provisional ballot because they do not
have adequate identification, they must bring a government-issued ID,
utility bill, driver’s license number or the last four digits of their
social security number to the Board of Elections within ten days of the
election for their ballot to be counted.
As part of its public education campaign, the ACLU of Ohio has begun
distributing thousands of flyers around the state of Ohio to other
public interest groups, schools, businesses and community activists.
Additionally, the ACLU has featured the information on the new “Vote!”
section of its website, which also includes other helpful information
for voters.
“Provisional ballots were created to avoid the worst case scenario that
eligible voters are turned away at the polls because of technicalities.
If a voter is prevented from casting a regular ballot, they must be
allowed to cast a provisional ballot. We want to be sure that every
voter’s voice is heard and no one who is qualified is denied their right
to vote,” Link concluded.
Go to www.acluohio.org/vote
to get more information about the ACLU’s “Refuse to Leave” campaign and
view other resources in the new “Vote” section.
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Download our new "Refuse to Leave" card
here.
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