Mary Boyle, Common Cause, (202) 736-5770

Tim Rusch, Demos, (212) 389-1407

Outreach to low income voters improved but registration requirements, provisional ballot counting remain as excessive hurdles to voters

Washington, DC — A new report finds that while Ohio has improved its voting practices, increasing its outreach to low-income voters by stepping up compliance with the National Voter Registration Act, there are still hurdles to full voter participation. According to the report, “Voting in 2010: Ten Swing States,” Ohio voter registration deadlines remain burdensome and provisional ballot counting practices continue to disenfranchise too many voters.

The report examines election laws and policies in 10 key states and highlights their potential impact on voter participation in the upcoming mid-term elections. Because Ohio is the site of closely-contested U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races this year, participation rates could decide the outcome of the election. The report was produced by national policy centers and election watchdogs Common Cause and Demos. It reviews voting laws and policies in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, and Ohio.

“Ohio is once again going to have incredibly close elections this year, and it has been the site of numerous voting problems in the past, including vote suppression,” said Tova Wang, Senior Democracy Fellow at Demos and author of the report. “Ohio has made great strides over the last several years in reforming the system, but it’s a state that always needs to be watched.”

“When elections are this close, it’s clear how critical the rules of the game are and whether they are enforced.” Said Susannah Goodman, Director of the Election Reform Program at Common Cause and co-author of the report. “Our report shows where election laws in Ohio help voters, where they hinder participation and where they need to be improved.”

The report examines problematic voting areas including registration, ID issues (which can present burdens to those who don’t hold traditional identification such as a driver’s license), provisional ballots, voter suppression and deception tactics, caging and challenge laws, voting by overseas and military voters, and challenges for new citizens and ethnic minorities. A summary chart evaluates each state’s practices, and a set of recommendations is offered for improvement of these voting procedures.

For Ohio, the report found a number of notable obstacles to full voter participation.

The very early voter registration deadline – 30 days prior to the election – may prevent many interested citizens from participating.

Issues regarding database matching remain unresolved, though the secretary of state has taken steps to resolve them.

오하이오는 사기성 로보콜과 기타 잘못된 정보를 이용해 개인이 투표하지 못하게 하려는 시도로 문제가 있었습니다. 이러한 관행을 퇴치하기에 법이 충분히 구체적이지 않습니다. 오하이오에는 비상업적 이메일에 적용되는 스팸 방지 법률도 없지만, 이메일은 잘못된 정보를 퍼뜨리는 흔하고 빠른 방법입니다.

잘못된 투표구에서 투표한 임시 투표용지는 계산되지 않습니다.

긍정적인 측면에서 보고서는 다른 주들이 따라야 할 모범적인 투표법과 절차를 찾아냈습니다.

소송에 대응하여 오하이오는 주 공공 지원 기관의 등록 관행을 개선하고 있습니다. 주의 일자리 및 가족 서비스부는 2009년 11월에 NVRA를 시행하고 모니터링하기 위한 합의에 도달했습니다. 합의에 따른 첫 몇 달간의 데이터 보고는 고무적입니다.

Citizens who have finished their prison sentences are allowed to vote.

Ohio’s implementation of the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act is exemplary. The Secretary of State’s office has been partnering with local elections officials to update them on MOVE. Additionally, it intends to work with non-profit agencies to conduct outreach to voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and work with the Overseas Vote Foundation to update its UOCAVA site.

The state also has exemplary practices with regard to voter registration outreach to newly naturalized citizens. The secretary of state’s office provides voter registration information to all naturalized citizens and has conducted registration at naturalization ceremonies.

Click here for the full report, executive summary and other swing state information.