US Supreme Court rejects GOP bid in Ohio voting dispute

[Lerrad]

On Tiesday the full 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld a lower court's ruling that Brunner must use other government records to check the thousands of new voters for registration fraud. Today that finding was over ruled by the US Supreme Court.

<SNIP>
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court sided Friday with Ohio's top elections official in a dispute with the state Republican Party over voter registrations.

The justices overruled a federal appeals court that had ordered Ohio's top elections official to do more to help counties verify voter eligibility.

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, faced a deadline of Friday to set up a system to provide local officials with names of newly registered voters whose driver's license numbers or Social Security numbers on voter registration forms don't match records in other government databases.

Ohio Republicans contended the information for counties would help prevent fraud. Brunner said the GOP is trying to disenfranchise voters.
In a brief unsigned opinion, the justices said they were not commenting on whether Ohio is complying with a provision of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 that lays out requirements for verifying voter eligibility.
Instead, they said they were granting Brunner's request because it appears that the law does not allow private entities, like the Ohio GOP, to file suit to enforce the provision of the law at issue.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081017/ap_on_el_pr/scotus_voter_registration;_ylt=ArodB7M284NChYJTyecAK55MEP0E

[1corona4u]

1. Good. I hope that's the end of it.

[DCBob]

2. Can the GOPers appeal??

[VeraAgnes]

3. Not any more than Gore vs Bush.

I believe Brunner's appeal approval was unanimous.

[Lerrad]

4. Good question, I don't think they can....

This has already been through the local district court, then appealed and reversed by the Ohio Supreme Court, and now appealed and reversed again by the US Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the land.

I don't think it can be appealed.

[Lerrad]

5. Jennifer Brunner will be on the Rachel Maddow show tonight n/t

[DCBob]

6. That should be interesting. Thanks for the heads up!