Today, Ohio’s voting law that allows the state to purge inactive voters is being tested in the Supreme Court. Defending the law is Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, who is running for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. It’s no surprise that Husted is defending the case – Republicans have launched an all-out war on voting rights at the state level and it’s been going on for decades.
As a primer for the SCOTUS case, American Bridge released a report outlining numerous examples of Republican governors and gubernatorial candidates who have worked to make it harder for people to vote in their states – in nearly every way possible.
American Bridge spokesperson Lizzy Price made the following statement:
“From supporting Donald Trump’s outrageous lies about supposed voter fraud to working to suppress the vote in any way they can, Republican gubernatorial candidates have tried everything to make sure they win their elections for years to come. Republican efforts to repeal voting rights from lawful citizens aren’t just wrong, they’re un-American.”
Here are just a few examples:
- 2016: As Attorney General, Bill Schuette fought to protect a Michigan law that banned straight ticket voting. A Federal Appeals Court ruled the ban would disadvantage African-American voters, and Schuette requested a review of the court’s decision. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Schuette’s request to reinstate the ban before the 2016 election.
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2014: Gov. Walker signed several pieces of legislation aimed at curtailing early voting. The restrictions on early voting were struck down in federal court in 2016 when a judge ruled the law “intentionally discriminates on the basis of race.”
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2016: Gov. Rauner initially vetoed “motor voter” legislation that allowed voters to automatically register to vote upon visiting a state driver’s facility. In vetoing the bill, Rauner cited concerns with voter fraud and compliance with federal ‘Real I.D.’ standards.
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2006: In Congress, Adam Putnam, who is currently running for Governor in Florida, supported stricter photo I.D. requirements and cast several votes to ease requirements placed on states under the Voting Rights Act. Putnam voted to remove a requirement that states provide bilingual ballots and language assistance at the polls, and in favor of amending a formula that determined which states needed new voting laws approved by the federal government.
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2012: Secretary of State Jon Husted and Attorney General Mike DeWine pushed to curtail early voting and to end Sunday voting, which had long been a tradition for African-American churches. The cuts to voting hours were blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012. Husted and DeWine attempted to implement the early voting cuts again, but the move was blocked by a U.S. District Judge in 2014, who ruled the restrictions violated the Voting Rights Act.
Published: Jan 10, 2018