My friend posted this on FB. It's from Breitbart and seems a little vague to me.

[Booster]

My friend, a Repug, posted that Mr. Obama is not letting the military vote, which is not true, but does anyone know what the Dems intentions were when they filed the lawsuit?


http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/08/02/obama-campaign-sues-to-restrict-military-voting

[NYC_SKP]

1. It is crap. n/t

[salvorhardin]

3. Breitbart is crap, but the story isn't

Here's a more balanced writeup from the AP:

Before the changes, local boards of election had the discretion to set their own early, in-person voting hours on the days before the election. People were allowed up until Monday before the Tuesday election to vote in person. Weekend voting varied among the state's 88 counties.

With the changes, most Ohioans now have until the Friday evening before the Tuesday election to cast a ballot in person. But military voters can continue to vote in person until Monday.

Democrats contend the legislative changes to the in-person, early-voting deadlines resulted in "arbitrary and inequitable" treatment of similarly situated voters.

The office of Ohio's Republican attorney general, who is also being sued along with the secretary of state, responded to the campaign's lawsuit late Wednesday in a court filing.

Attorney General Mike DeWine's office noted that all Ohioans have numerous voting options that include casting an absentee by mail starting 35 days before the election, casting an in-person ballot on other days, and voting at their polling location on Election Day.

"These options, absent the possibility of a few more hours, do not harm anyone," wrote Richard Coglianese, an assistant attorney general.

Link: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/ap/ohio/military-groups-oppose-obama-campaign-ohio-lawsuit/nP9C9

Seems to me both the Republicans and Democrats are playing politics here. The Republicans pushed through a bunch of changes, now the Democrats are suing to get this one change reversed. While it might seem minor, I think they're right in that it inequitably treats similarly situated voters.

[Booster]

11. Thanks. I kind of thought that also when I read it. Probably would have helped if the Dems had

asked for a couple of other changes, not just that one, to be reversed. Most of this kind of stuff is way over my head so I appreciate your help.

[WillowTree]

17. Would have helped if the Dems had left this entirely alone.

It's just not a winning stance to take. Did they learn nothing from the flap over mailed-in military ballots in the 2000 election?

Sometimes I wonder about these guys, I really do.

[HubertHeaver]

25. The republicans caged military votes in 2000

The flap about the late mailed-in votes was a distraction. The real story that got buried was the republicans did not allow some members of the military to vote.


The rank and file of the military will vote democratic if they are allowed to freely vote. The republicans know this, therefore the distractions.

[dsc]

18. actually that isn't what happened

Ohio put in a bunch of changes all of which were null and void pending a vote since Democrats got signatures to put the law on the ballot. In response the GOP killed the law but kept this one provision which by rights should be null and void too.

[salvorhardin]

21. Ah, the AP article didn't make that distinction

Either that or the Palm Beach Post trimmed the AP story (happens).

Here's what it said:

Obama for America's lawsuit comes after a series of election law changes cleared the state's Republican-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. John Kasich signed them.

So the article as reported at the Palm Beach Post site could have been clearer in that regard.

[LiberalAndProud]

2. Sorry, can't bring myself to click that link.

what lawsuit?

[uppityperson]

4. Try this article, they have it quite backwards.

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/07/18/obama-campaign-sues-ohio-for-cutting-early-voting-days/

Obama Campaign Sues Ohio for Cutting Early Voting Days

The Obama campaign is suing the state of Ohio for restricting early voting in this year’s election, claiming that recent changes made by the Ohio legislature create inequality among voters and violate the Equal Protection Clause.

“This lawsuit seeks to treat all Ohio citizens equally under the law,” Bob Bauer, attorney for President Obama’s campaign committee, said. “We want to restore the right of all to vote before Election Day,” he said, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

The campaign says the election-law changes made by Ohio’s Republican-controlled legislature and signed by Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, unfairly ends in-person early voting for most people on the Friday evening before Election Day — a Tuesday — but allows military and overseas voters to cast ballots in person until Monday, AP reported .

[FLyellowdog]

8. Probably need to bookmark this

as my repug fb "friends" will be all over it.

[Lex]

5. Is there a reason they are given 3 extra days to vote?

I don't see why that's given to them exactly. It doesn't seem to be tied to whether they are currently serving or anything.

[elleng]

10. Issue appears to be that EVERYONE should have the 3 days,

which they've had in the past and which OH repugs have removed in order to disenfranchise many. The suit is for equality, no arbitrary distinction.

[Lex]

12. Oh so the Repugs took the 3 days away from EVERYone

except the military with no reason.

[Booster]

13. Aha. Now that makes a lot of sense. Now I can go back to FB & say it's not true. Thanks, Elleng.

[elleng]

15. Right. Welcome.

Others have posted with the details.

[NYC_SKP]

16. As I said, it's crap.

I was confident that someone with more time would come along.

Thanks, elleng!

[uppityperson]

6. Here's another article. It looks like they want everyone to be able to vote the same.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/ap/ohio/military-groups-oppose-obama-campaign-ohio-lawsuit/nP9C9/

Obama's campaign and Democrats filed the lawsuit last month against Ohio's top elections official in a dispute over the battleground state's law that restricts early, in-person voting during the final three days before Election Day.

The campaign, the Democratic National Committee and the Ohio Democratic Party contend the law unfairly ends in-person voting for most Ohioans three days earlier than it does for military and overseas voters.

Attorneys for the Democrats argue such "disparate" treatment is unconstitutional, and all voters should be able to vote on those days.
AMVETS, the National Guard Association of the United States, the Association of the U.S. Army and other organizations asked a judge late Wednesday to dismiss the lawsuit.

The military groups say federal and state law recognizes that service members need extra time to cast their ballots. They say they fear the precedent that could be set if a court finds that military voters shouldn't be treated differently than other voters.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. They got it ass-backwards.

The DNC has sued the state of Ohio for attempting to cut three days off the time to vote for everybody but the military, on the ground that granting the extra time for military people and not everybody else is arbitrary and violates the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution. http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/07/obama-campaign-dnc-sue-ohio-over-early-voting-129218.html

In other words, they are trying to prevent Ohio from taking those three days away from everybody but military personnel - the intent is not to take that extra time away from the military, just to ensure that all voters are treated the same. The right-wing media and bloggers are trying to spin it as trying to keep military people from voting, which, of course, is bullshit.

[uppityperson]

9. Thank you. That is what I am coming up with also.

[Booster]

14. A big hearty THANK YOU to all of you guys. That's what I love about DU. I can always count of the

members to explain things to me like I'm a 4 yr old and then I get it. If my friend doesn't answer my post on FB then I'll know we got 'em. After all Mr. Obama & Michelle have done for our troops I knew this couldn't be true. You guys are the best.

[jillan]

19. I used to live with a republican and I can tell you that my best friend was

http://snopes.com/

They are a great reference for all republican bullcrap.

[SeattleVet]

20. And here's another very informative article that gives the full story:

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/obama-campaign-sues-ohio-over-early-voting-restrictions-1.320837

And yes, the wingnuts once again get it completely backwards. However, giving them the real story will not easily kill this meme. The story is out there that Obama's trying to restrict the military vote, and that's what they're going to stick to.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. What they sued about is this

They want to bring back extended voting, which in OH was severely curtailed. They do NOT want to stop the military from voting. what they want to do is make it available for everyone NOT JUST MILITARY in uniform.

Breitbart gave you a half truth.

Here

Obama's campaign and Democrats argue that the law unfairly ends early, in-person voting for most Ohioans on the Friday evening before the Tuesday election, while allowing military and overseas voters to cast a ballot in person until Monday.

Before the changes to the law, local boards of election had the discretion to set their own early, in-person voting hours on the days before the election. And in-person voting on the weekend varied among the state's 88 counties.

The state's elections chief, Secretary of State Jon Husted, has argued that all counties should have the same early voting hours and be open on the same days. Husted and his fellow Republicans contend it's unfair that a voter in one county can cast an early ballot on a day when a voter in a neighboring county cannot.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-campaign-sues-over-ohio-early-voting-law/article/feed/2013004

And yes, they should allow ALL to have extended voting hours, but this would bring the unwanted to vote.

[Booster]

23. Thank all of you again. There's been no further posting from anyone on FB re: this. That means to

me that now they know it's bullshit and won't be posting it again, at least not on FB. I love that feeling. lol

[alp227]

24. A Republican friend just posted this story too. I'm responding. Thank you and all who responded. nt

[uppityperson]

26. It is now on snopes. Your repub friend has it backwards. It is to give civilians the same

voting times as military has, not to take anything away from the military.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/ballot/military.asp