Ohio Lost Golden Week

We would be driving homeless people to the polls today if we still had Golden Week.  This is the best time for homeless people to participate because they can update their address at the same time they vote.  No hassles and for those who move frequently this is the best way to participate in Democracy.

The Federal Appeals Court down in Cincinnati overturned the district court to eliminate Golden Week in Ohio.  The sole reason seems to be that other states around us have fewer opportunities to vote so therefore Ohioans should suffer as well.  This is the worst reason since we cannot move to a state just because they have better rules for voting.  Voting is tied to our residences, so once we get accustomed to voting early and voting and registering at the same time, and retreat is a taking of our rights.   The basis for the suit and the basis for the victory at the district court level was that African American and minority populations use Golden Week.   Ohio legislators and the Courts are making it more difficult if we take away a right that a minority population was using.  It does not matter if Indiana does not allow early voting because Ohio voters do not live in Indiana. 

There is no way to look at this written decision except purely done for political reasons.  The lower court decision was supportive of Golden Week and recognized that this was a way to make it easier to vote for Ohioans. Here are the stories about Golden Week.

http://wksu.org/post/ohio-democrats-are-taking-golden-week-voting-fight-us-supreme-court

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/ohio-voting-decision/497066/

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/08/23/judge-reverses-golden-week-in-ohio.html

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2016/08/appellate_court_rules_ohio_ear.html

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/08/early-voting_ruling_on_ohios_g.html

Brian Davis

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