voter rights
DOJ civil rights official urges Congress to act soon on voting rights
WASHINGTON — A top Justice Department official on Monday stressed the need for Congress to pass legislation named after the late Georgia civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis in order to protect voting rights across the United States. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke told lawmakers that since a 2013 Supreme Court […]
Ohio lawmaker seeks to protect voter education programs with new bill
A Cleveland lawmaker is hoping to protect voter outreach programs that may be in danger of being outlawed in future Ohio elections. The state budget approved earlier this summer includes a number of provisions that voting rights advocates have characterized as anti-democratic. Among them is a prohibition on election officials collaborating with any nongovernmental entity […]
Some voter education programs may be in jeopardy due to new Ohio law
With Ohio searching for more poll workers during the pandemic last year, Secretary of State Frank LaRose had to get creative. Ohioans needed their hair cut after being indoors for months. And, perhaps just as much, they wanted to go out again for drinks. So LaRose announced two new programs meant to spur voter registration […]
LaRose: 104 illegally registered to vote in Ohio, 13 voted in 2020
More than 100 people in Ohio are accused of illegally registering to vote and casting ballots during the 2020 election cycle, Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Monday. LaRose acknowledged some of these cases involve “honest mistakes” and reflect only a small portion of the millions of ballots cast here in 2020. Though he touted […]
DeWine signs budget, blocks erasure of COVID-19 health violations
Gov. Mike DeWine signed the $74 billion, two-year state budget into law, keeping in place nearly all of its signature policy positions and spending priorities while once again nixing an effort by Republican lawmakers to counter his administration’s methods of handling the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. The governor also vetoed an attempt by Republican lawmakers to […]
Mailbag: Will the response to Ohio’s voting reforms resemble Georgia?
The U.S. Census Bureau data may be delayed, but the Ohio Capital Journal Mailbag is right on time. Let’s get started: Got a question about Ohio politics/government? Send them by email to [email protected] or tweet them to @tylerjoelb. After the Georgia voting bill passed, lots of folks wished there had been more timely pressure on […]
Unfinished business: 5 legislative priorities in Ohio pushed to 2021
The 133rd Ohio General Assembly wrapped up its term with a flurry of lame-duck activity last week, closing out a challenging year of legislating amid a global pandemic. Lawmakers hurried to get priority bills passed and sent to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk for a signature before the two-year term ended. There were, however, a number […]
We might not know who won Ohio tonight. Don’t panic — that’s OK
Which presidential candidate is going to win Ohio? Donald Trump and Joe Biden both have a good chance. But it’s possible that we will all head to bed tonight not knowing which way the Buckeye State voted. If so, that’s OK. Here is a quick explanation of why that is, and what you can expect […]
You have rights when you go to vote — and many people are there to help if there’s trouble
Despite all the challenges to this year’s election – long lines, calls for voter intimidation, baseless claims of fraud – voting is a fundamental civil right. As a political scientist who studies campaigns and elections, I have confidence in American democracy. Lots of people are working at the polls and behind the scenes to ensure […]
U.S. Justice Department to send staff to monitor polling places in 18 states
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice will have staffers on the ground in 44 counties and cities across 18 states on Election Day, including Cuyahoga County, monitoring for violations of federal voting-rights laws — fewer states than in 2016. The localities this year are in battlegrounds like Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, […]
Exercising your right to vote on Election Day
Turn on the news or read a newspaper today and you will see political candidates and public officials making the rounds throughout the country trying to earn your vote. While the issues and formats are much different today, those candidates and public officials are participating in America’s time-honored tradition of democracy. When it comes to […]
Trump’s rhetoric on election integrity unfolds in courtrooms, tweets
And it’s sowing the ground for a contested election See you in court! It is a threat President Donald Trump and his reelection campaign have lobbed — sometimes verbatim — at states across the country this year. Last week, the campaign threatened litigation in Pennsylvania if it wasn’t allowed to observe activity inside satellite election […]