Repeal H.B. 194!
September 9, 2011
Will you be able to vote this November?
Don't be so sure. A recent law in Ohio will enact restrictions which will prevent many voters from casting their ballots this November if it isn't repealed. House Bill 194, passed this summer, will, among other things:
- decrease the number of days for early voting, a process through which people can vote in person at a Board of Elections office prior to November 8, resulting in longer lines on election day;
- decrease the number of days during which voters can submit a mail-in ballot, also leading to busier polling places on November 8;
- disqualify many completed ballots which would otherwise be valid, including ballots containing errors by poll workers;
- restrict voting on election day by not requiring poll workers to direct voters to the correct precinct if a voter accidentally tries to vote in the wrong precinct;
- make more restrictive the requirements which third parties in Ohio must meet in order to have their candidates be listed on the ballot.
(For a more comprehensive account of this bill's provisions, see the following document: Voter Suppression Bill Handout.doc. Feel free to print out copies and distribute them in your neighborhood!)
These restrictions are an undemocratic assault on voters' rights. They will cause many people's voices to go unheard and eliminate choices for those able to vote. Voter turnout in the U.S. is low enough already. Why make voting more difficult?
Fortunately, this law can be repealed. Groups throughout the state are working to gather the 232,000 petitions required for a referendum. If successful, the law will be placed on the ballot in November of 2012 and the law would not go into effect for the 2011 and 2012 elections.
Interested in signing a petition to repeal H.B. 194? See the following website for a map of locations where you can go to sign, and for information on how you can get involved! http://www.fairelectionsohio.com/sign-the-petition/
