Ohio GOP to Pass New "NC-like" Voting Restrictions

[LeBron]

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ohio-gop-looks-turn-clock-back-voting
http://www.msnbc.com/the-ed-show/watch/ohi-no-you-cant-easily-vote-66212931862
http://www.msnbc.com/the-ed-show/ed-show-poll-nov-19-2013

These new laws if they're signed would kill Kasich's approval rating and despite voting restrictions, would still give FitzGerald a huge advantage over Kasich in the election.

Most of these are Ohio Senate bills (where the Republicans have a 2/3rd's majority). They would allow absentee ballots to only be mailed out only after approval by the GOP General Assembly (watch them not approve any sent to Cuyahoga) and then have the biased Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted mail them, new provisional ballot requirements including the number of days someone has to return with the needed information to get the vote to count, ending same-day registration, cutting early voting from 35 to 30 days, and the most idiotic bill out of all of these, reducing the number of VOTING MACHINES.

These were the reasons for the long lines in 2004 and why Bush ultimately defeated Kerry in Ohio to win the Presidency. And the problem is, if these get passed, no matter how unpopular the Assembly and Kasich will be, while we could easily throw out the Governor next year, the Republicans have a gerrymandered lock on control of the Assembly until at least 2020 when hopefully Democrats will have a majority in the redistricting board. The laws would never be overruled by the Ohio Supreme Court because of the obvious bias and 6-1 conservative majority there, so the only other sure fire-ways are taking them to the Supreme Court or we'll just have to wait until a Democratic majority in both houses and the Governorship which.....may take a very, very long time.

[LeBron]

http://www.thenation.com/blog/177454/ohio-gop-resurrects-voter-suppression-efforts

http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2013/12/06/Legislators-deciding-election-issues.html

Four bills all proposed by Republicans have passed the Ohio Senate already. The main two being watched are a bill that would prohibit anyone but Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) from sending out absentee ballots and only when authorized by the GOP-controlled Ohio General Assembly. The other one would eliminate the "Golden Week" which basically prohibits same-day registration/voting.

They're currently being heard in the Ohio House of Representatives where Republicans control a 60-39 majority. Speaker Batchelder already announced he plans to allow a vote on them and when they most likely pass, they go back to the Ohio Senate for final approval whereby they are then sent to Kasich's desk who has not announced what he'll do with them yet.

So far, the only person I've seen on the national news covering this was Ed Schultz compared to the NC voting laws which were talked about everywhere on several major networks. In order to effectively defeat these bills or ultimately defeat Kasich (if he signs them), this needs to get in the national media. It's not a statewide issue anymore because this is just as bad if not worse than TX, NC, PA, FL, MS, etc.

[IceSpear]

It still amazes me the media continues to let the GOP get away with blatant voter suppression.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

It still amazes me the media continues to let the GOP get away with blatant voter suppression.

The media let Bush get away with starting a war based upon lies.
The media let Bush get away with taxes for the rich that wouldn't take effect for several years sold as "economic stimulus".

The media is the problem.

[pbrower2a]

Maybe sometime this coming year I will appear in Toledo with a placard with the name Kasich altered with a hammer-and-sickle in view of his support for  totalitarian 'reforms' of voting.

[Marokai Backbeat]

It still amazes me the media continues to let the GOP get away with blatant voter suppression.

In general, it has always been astounding to me how the Republican Party gets away with leveraging public policy to protect their power, with disturbingly little controversy in the media.

[LeBron]

It still amazes me the media continues to let the GOP get away with blatant voter suppression.

In general, it has always been astounding to me how the Republican Party gets away with leveraging public policy to protect their power, with disturbingly little controversy in the media.

And unfortunately, this is one of the main social injustices we can currently catch Kasich on. People have already forgotten about SB5 and the legislature will most likely wait until after 2014 to pass the right-to-work and anti-abortion "heartbeat" bills. If this is the case though and Kasich survives re-election followed by Tea Party legislation being passed like no tomorrow, then we can be VERY hopeful for a Democratic Governor in Ohio come 2018.

I still have a lot of confidence in FitzGerald though. He's already going after Kasich on this voting rights issue and the absurdity that Kasich needs to cheat to win.

These laws will affect roughly 1/3rd of Ohio voters especially minorities since tons of people in the north part of the state vote by mail and vote early which is 2012 all over again. The question is, can we rely on Attorney General Eric Holder to sue Ohio again over these restrictions? (Assuming the politically biased Ohio Supreme Court upholds them).

[Ban my account ffs!]

I thank God everyday that I live in a state with liberalized voting laws.  The SoS here is pushing for online voter registration and early voting.

Hearing what's going on in these Republican states is maddening in a way I can't really express.  Don't give up, even if you have to jump through flaming hoops and wait for a day straight to vote.  Make your voice heard.

[Lambsbread]

PERFECT chance to use this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYlmGCan_Mk

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

It still amazes me the media continues to let the GOP get away with blatant voter suppression.

In general, it has always been astounding to me how the Republican Party gets away with leveraging public policy to protect their power, with disturbingly little controversy in the media.

And yet somehow it's the left that the media is in the tank for.

[Maxwell]

They're reporting on it, aren't they? I don't see how this is a "ooh the media is so right-wing" thing.

[IceSpear]

It still amazes me the media continues to let the GOP get away with blatant voter suppression.

The media let Bush get away with starting a war based upon lies.
The media let Bush get away with taxes for the rich that wouldn't take effect for several years sold as "economic stimulus".

The media is the problem.

At the time, it wasn't known yet the war was based on lies. And the latter, while stupid policy, didn't really strike at the core of what it means to be a free citizen. Voter suppression bills go to the core of what it means to be a democracy. Will the GOP have to install an Iranian/Soviet style rigged election system before the media starts to care? By then it would be too late anyway.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

They're reporting on it, aren't they? I don't see how this is a "ooh the media is so right-wing" thing.

They're reporting on it, but much of the attention has gone to non-issues like the Obamacare website.

[IceSpear]

They're reporting on it, aren't they? I don't see how this is a "ooh the media is so right-wing" thing.

One of the headlines is literally "Legislators deciding election issues". Who is going to glance at that story twice? BORING.

In a world where the media reports facts, it would be:

"GOP legislators introducing voter suppression bills to strengthen their party"

[Ban my account ffs!]

They're reporting on it, aren't they? I don't see how this is a "ooh the media is so right-wing" thing.

One of the headlines is literally "Legislators deciding election issues". Who is going to glance at that story twice? BORING.

In a world where the media reports facts, it would be:

"GOP legislators introducing voter suppression bills to strengthen their party"

Media today is nothing but an exercise in mental masturbation.  Everything comes out so syrupy and pre-processed that you don't realize the damage it does cuz it just tastes so good going down. (And it's so easy and convenient)

[Maxwell]

Rick Snyder's approval ratings got destroyed after the coverage of his Right-to-Work came out, North Carolina GOP has been hit tremendously for their voter ID stuff, how can you possibly say this won't have any damage and that the press is at fault?

[Ban my account ffs!]

Rick Snyder's approval ratings got destroyed after the coverage of his Right-to-Work came out, North Carolina GOP has been hit tremendously for their voter ID stuff, how can you possibly say this won't have any damage and that the press is at fault?

Maybe people in Ohio watch a lot more CNN than Michiganders?
Wolfy Blitzer is always finding the midpoint between a piece of sh**t and a sewage dump.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

Rick Snyder's approval ratings got destroyed after the coverage of his Right-to-Work came out, North Carolina GOP has been hit tremendously for their voter ID stuff, how can you possibly say this won't have any damage and that the press is at fault?

On second thought, I probably spoke too soon.  This will probably get some coverage, but right now the media is focused on Nelson Mandela coverage (not that that's a bad thing, by any means).

[Ban my account ffs!]

Rick Snyder's approval ratings got destroyed after the coverage of his Right-to-Work came out, North Carolina GOP has been hit tremendously for their voter ID stuff, how can you possibly say this won't have any damage and that the press is at fault?

On second thought, I probably spoke too soon.  This will probably get some coverage, but right now the media is focused on Nelson Mandela coverage (not that that's a bad thing, by any means).

yeah it is.. the dude is dead.  Gone.  Not coming back.  We all know who he was, what his accomplishments were, and how he changed South Africa and the world for the better.

This would be the perfect opportunity to juxtapose that struggle against the same old tricks that white conservatives have been using for centuries to enforce their minority view and power structure onto the rest of us.

[pbrower2a]

It still amazes me the media continues to let the GOP get away with blatant voter suppression.

The media let Bush get away with starting a war based upon lies.
The media let Bush get away with taxes for the rich that wouldn't take effect for several years sold as "economic stimulus".

The media is the problem.

At the time, it wasn't known yet the war was based on lies. And the latter, while stupid policy, didn't really strike at the core of what it means to be a free citizen. Voter suppression bills go to the core of what it means to be a democracy. Will the GOP have to install an Iranian/Soviet style rigged election system before the media starts to care? By then it would be too late anyway.

And when that happens America will be a source of emigrants who perceive that they have no chance.

The Right wants a government that represents high incomes and great wealth instead of the People. Such has been done. It is called fascism.

[Miles]

Disgusting.

If I were in Ohio, I could see myself possibly supporting Kasich (he really hasn't done anything to piss me off too much and I'm not impressed with Fitz), but not if he signed these laws. This is a critical issue for me.

[Cassius]

Ah, someone has already managed to compare this to apartheid. Impressive, most impressive.

Anyway, full steam ahead with these voting restrictions.

[Franzl]

Anyway, full steam ahead with these voting restrictions.

Can you provide any practical argument in favor, except that results that are favorable to your (despicable) ideology will become more probable?

[Cassius]

Anyway, full steam ahead with these voting restrictions.

Can you provide any practical argument in favor, except that results that are favorable to your (despicable) ideology will become more probable?

Well, that is a very practical argument (why is my ideology despicable ?). But, I guess it reduces the potential for voter fraud, as well as the number of votes that have to be counted on election day, saving time and (potentially) money.

[Miles]

Well, that is a very practical argument (why is my ideology despicable ?). But, I guess it reduces the potential for voter fraud, as well as the number of votes that have to be counted on election day, saving time and (potentially) money.

Even going by the Republicans' numbers the voter fraud rate is 0.0048% in Ohio.