Jon Husted, fan of uniformity (now).
In what Rick Hasen calls "the most important decision in this election cycle" and "a major victory for voters' rights," a federal court has ruled (pdf) that Ohio must count ballots that are cast in the right polling place but at the wrong precinct simply because a clerk sent the voter to the wrong place. In 2008, Ohio threw out many thousands of provisional ballots cast as a result of that kind of mistake.
"I can't expect 40,000 people who do this job only once or maybe twice a year to be perfect," Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted told the Cincinnati Enquirer this summer. And yet Husted appealed part of an earlier decision requiring Ohio to count the votes*, just as he has continued to appeal court rulings allowing for early voting on the final weekend and Monday before the election. Less than a month from the election, the rules for voting in Ohio remain unclear.
Husted's argument for continuing the fight against expanded early voting is that he does not want to end up with different amounts of voting in different counties. "The last thing I want to see is a non-uniform system where voters will be treated differently in all 88 counties," he said, though he voted to allow more early voting in Republican counties and less in Democratic ones.
Apparently you can cover a lot of ground by saying you insist on uniformity. Earlier this week...
lefty Ohio blog Plunderbund wrote that Husted had quietly forbidden elections workers from calling or emailing voters whose absentee ballots contained mistakes. Unless those mistakes are corrected, the ballots could be thrown out. Husted's order makes it harder to get those mistakes fixed, and thus more likely the ballots won't count.
Today the Cleveland Plain Dealer picked up the story, with an explanation from Husted's office:
"We don't necessarily have an email address or a phone number for every voter," [spokesman Matt] McClellan added. "This goes back to uniformity around the state."
One more thing on Husted's plate: Democratic-leaning Lucas County, which includes Toledo, has again deadlocked over a plan to offer expanded early voting. The tie-breaking vote belongs to the secretary of state.
*UPDATE: Husted had specifically appealed the part of the decision requiring that provisional ballots come with a voter's printed name and signature. The court today reversed most of that part of the ruling, and also ordered more review based on a challenge from advocates for the homeless. That leaves the issue still alive. The state of Ohio, as a separate intervenor, appealed the order to count votes cast in the wrong precinct.
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Another one who thinks we are as stupid as he is.
naturally. and the talibanners who shot that young schoolgirl figured that killing the person is the first step to preventing individuals from exercising their basic human rights as individuals. repubers dont like individuals - they like groupies
Guess who's more likely NOT to have an email address? Folks unable to afford a computer and an internet connection. Every word he says, every move he makes, shows him for what he is, an enemy of democracy, yet I don't think he's even embarrassed, let alone ashamed.
Many Repubs now support MItt and folks like Husted in spite of the fact that Mitt, Husted, and their ilk are open liars, subverters of democratic values, or walk back their previous ideological positions because they're not popular (moderate Mitt in the first debate). That's the new base for Mitt, Ryan, and Husted, their new constituency. But if this new constituency doesn't agree with their ideas, why support them? They must hate Obama so much that they'll support people they don't agree with just because they oppose Obama. But why are they Obama haters if they have no reason to support Obama's opponents? The only reasons I can think of are bad reasons, reasons the new constituency won't admit to. It's sad; sad and scary.
Very well said!
How about we throw out this cro-magnon to democracy and start over with a fresh face - one that actually believes in democracy for all!!
GOTP = spiteful, mean-spirited, small of character, liars, and intemperate!
first, you need to see the traits of repuber neanderthals. as they get older, their world contracts, not expands.
I guess Husted sees himself as that little engine that thought he could . . . . From his perspective - I think I can, I think I can, I think I can ruin the rights of American citizens by abusing my power as a duly elected Secretary of State of the the great state of Ohio!
Yeah, Mr. Husted, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can condemn you to the dust bin of our nation's democratic heritage! Yes, Mr. Husted you are a dastardly fellow with no worthy contribution to make, but only a sour puss of an effort to corrupt our democracy! -Kevo
he thumped about it and now he thumps he can.
If the Republicans are so confident that the majority of Americans are supportive of their ideas why do they put so much effort into denying Americans their right to vote? How do they square this with their constant chatter about defending the constitution? Hypocrites & dirty tricksters with their hands over their hearts ( and their fingers crossed ).
obviously the repubers believe everyone else is all wrong. what they have there is a "failure to communicate".
How can they rid us of this idea that we live in a democratic society and that they are our masters not our servants without ending this voting rights crap?
How can they hand the country over to corporate slime and the people over to religious zealots if we are allowed a choice?
Liberals--they just don't get it!
if you look closely you will see that their they are addressing human existence as a simple BORG style lifeline. that human existence is more a matter of FEEDING than LIVING. their whole relationship and hierarchal structure is all about FEEDING.
In criminal matters, the order of the court must be followed during an appeal process. Not so in re: the Court order directing that early voting at 2008-2012 levels be reinstated?
Give the Court time -- Husted didn't inform them of his stay of the Court's order until very recently.
My own guess is that after the previous "misunderstanding" regarding the authority of Federal District Judges to give orders to an elected official like Mr. Husted, he's going to be ordered to personally appear. Again.
And this time, the Court might not let him out of it if he does a "Look! Look! I misunderstood, it's all fixed now!" Could be, one way or another, he's going to be having a little face-to-face chat with someone who is answerable only to a very short list:
I find it quite ironic that the Republican party portrays themselves as the defenders of the constitution and patriots who represent the majority of Americans, and yet do everything in their power to prevent Americans from voting, which is our most fundamental right as citizens, as well as our way of expressing our opinion as to the best way forward. It is my opinion that they are hypocrites and dirty tricksters that represent the interests of big business but since that won't fly they misrepresent themselves and do their best to distract America from noticing
aka "cloaking"
Contempt of court and CONTEMPT FOR AMERICAN IDEALS!!!!
Here's one for the voter fraud books. A Republican precint chairman running for commissioner here in Texas is accused of voting twice - which the Republican legislature just upped to a class two felony.
http://www.chron.com/default/article/Candidate-voted-twice-in-same-elections-records-3937458.php
yep. repubers know about fraud better than anyone. hell, they practice it! only reason they couldnt come up with any issues regarding fraud is because..... self incrimination!
If any one remembers it was President Ronald Reagan that first
introduced the idea that when it comes to the economy "government isn't
the solution, government is the problem". He, I believe, incorrectly
believed that cutting taxes will force the government to cut spending
rather that ask congress to cut spending so we can cut taxes. I
disagree. As much as I distrust the government you have to admit the
government of the United States has kept the now 50 states in the
government. What does that mean? We could have ended up as Europe with
50 different nations struggling individually to grow and prosper or as
it happened we all joined together to form the most successful country
in the history of mankind. It was and is the federal government that
managed to hold everyone together for the betterment of our country as a
whole. So why "Starve the Beast"? The 1% realize that without a
central clearing house, the government, that money could instead be
funneled through people, not the government. If the money were to go to
individuals they would take a percentage making themselves rich but if
the money flows directly to the government then nobody makes a profit
except, of course, the government. The government is made up of people
working for a central organization for the benefit of all. Why weaken
that? Who builds and maintains the bridges, roads, fixes the potholes,
and hires the school teacher, fire fighter, or police person?
Individuals will, if it benefits them, but the government does it
because it benefits all. Ideally the government will dispense the money
evenly where it will do the most good. But if individuals have the
money it will benefit themselves. So, as much as I hate to say it, we
need a strong federal government to hold our country into one and not
fifty different ones.
well said. also consider that our operating environment is one of "gathering" - tto get more to have more - without end. without constraint. without limit. without end. think on that. it is the current scenario's method to own everything. consider the future where children are born into a world where everything is owned by a few. because if we dont stop the madness, thats where we end up.
And of course abortion and contraception will be outlawed to prevent people from not having kids that are born simply to serve the machine.
repubes want to make you- the individual- subordinate to their will. they want to steal from you the protections of life, liberty & pursuit of happiness guaranteed you - the individual - by the BillOfRgiths & Constitution of the U.S. of America. They want to deprive you of religious freedom by forcing laws upon you with their own talibanstyle authoritarianism which radical extremists we are currently fighting in afganistan. They want to subordinate you and your life to their monopolistic style business practices and place the so-called people corporations ahead of you - the individual - and your life. Essentially, the repubes want you to obey their commands at your expense of life and liberty in violation of the Consitution of the United States of America. And, they want the supreme court to uphold republican radical extremism. Thats what this election is all about.
Boy, how much did the RNC promise this guy if he could successfully suppress a certain percentage of the vote? He clearly isn't giving up. Must be a big payoff in the end for him if he can deliver the state by any means necessary.
this whole steal the election effort of the anti-america repuber thieves is a NETWORK basically of crazy attorneys and mad hatter business owners who want to operate like gadafi and bashar al-assad. their mindset is "rule or be ruled" - its a dictatorial paranoia, an asocial illness which infection spreads easily when divisionism is a perceptual construct. it will get a lot worse without wealth caps.
capitalism is for business
socialism is for people.
Where is the Federal Elections Commission?
oh. you haveent heard? wallstreet bought them along with the SEC, IRS, USPTO. is was a package deal.
No, one cannot expect "40,000 people who do this job only once or maybe twice a year to be perfect,"; that's true. But, in all fairness (we do want to be fair, don't we, Mr Husted?), one cannot expect the voters (possibly more than 40 thousand of them) to be punished for those imperfections; to just grin and bear being deprived of one's rights. Can we, Mr Husted?
Why are we not fighting to impeach Husted? This guy has to go!
A while back, the Tea Party said that it was time to water the tree of liberty with the blood of tyrants.
Is the Tea Party right?
For the past four years, we have seen a dramatic growth of “big government” tyranny in this country. We have seen numerous laws passed by government extremists. And, we have seen these government extremists turn our democratic process into a state of anarchy.
We have seen new laws that eliminate the rights of workers in the workplace.
We have seen efforts to pass laws to allow employers to impose their “religious” beliefs on their employees, and thus eliminate the rights of employees to make decisions about their personal lives.
We have seen efforts to pass laws designed to turn our democracy into a plutocracy.
And, we have seen new laws designed to prevent millions of Americans from voting.
Is the Tea Party right? Is it time to eliminate Tyranny, Extremism, and Anarchy?
What I don't understand is the everyday person on the street who are republicans. Why aren't they standing against their republican conterparts? They don't understand history very well if they think that the powers that be aren't coming for them next! Right now they need the help of these republicans to defeat the Democrat Party, but when they are finished with us there will be no stopping Corporate America. We have all watched what has been happening over the past few decades. There has been a concerted effort to break the backs of the Middle Class, starting with their republican hero, Ronald Reagan. I'm not sure how to reach the solution we need, but I do know that the people of this country need to stand together - Neighbor with neighbor if we want to take our country back. Since Ronald Reagan, Corporate America has succeeded in dividing us along social lines. We're to the point where Democrats and Republicans can't even have a civil conversation with one another. That has been the plan all along. Now they are taking our votes across the country. In Texas they are starting to require RFID's in the schools! CEO's are threatening to fire workers if they don't vote the way required. If we don't learn to come together they will win! I know I sound like some radical - but really, I'm not. I'm a 60 year old disabled woman who fears for her country and the people in it! We used to stand for something better!
It is things like this that made us decide to postpone our full family move to New Mexico by a full month! I want our DEMOCRATIC votes counted here in Ohio since every vote for Obama they don't see coming might have a better chance of getting thru!
I'm thinking Husted may be shooting his fellow Republicans in the foot with his mission against early voting. Poll analysers Nate Silver and Sam Wang are calling Romney's post-debate surge in the polls a "bounce" caused by Republican enthusiasm. Given time, this will probably wane, so wouldn't it be in the best interests of Republicans to allow Ohioans to vote early?