August 31, 2012 by David K. Sutton

Early Voting Restored in Ohio; No ‘Personhood’ Vote for Colorado

More good news today for voters.

EARLY VOTING RESTORED IN OHIO

If you haven’t been following this story, Ohio has allowed early voting to help ease the problems they had with high turnout during the 2004 election. This early voting window occurs on the weekend before election day. Republicans have closed that window this year, except for members of the military. The Obama campaign filed a lawsuit to restore early voting for all Ohio voters, and Republicans (including Mitt Romney) charged the Obama campaign with trying to deny military the right to vote, which is a bald-faced lie. Now a federal court has confirmed that lie by restoring early voting for all Ohio voters:

U.S. District Court Senior Judge Peter C. Economus ordered Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted not to enforce a state law passed last year that closed that window to in-person early voting to anyone but members of the military and their families.

“This Court notes that restoring in-person early voting to all Ohio voters through the Monday before Election Day does not deprive (military) voters from early voting,’’ wrote Judge Economus, a Clinton appointee. “Instead, and more importantly, it places all Ohio voters on equal standing.

“The only hindrance to (military) early voting is the Secretary of State’s failure to set uniform hours at elections boards during the last three days before Election Day,” he wrote. “On balance, the right of Ohio voters to vote in person during the last three days prior to Election Day—a right previously conferred to all voters by the State—outweighs the State’s interest in setting the 6 p.m. Friday deadline.” – Federal judge orders Ohio to allow early voting on 3 days before Election Day

‘PERSONHOOD’ WILL NOT BE ON BALLOT IN COLORADO

For those not aware, these so-called “personhood” initiatives in a dozens states is an effort to make abortion illegal. They are attempting to give legal rights to fertilized eggs. Last year Mississippi, the most conservative state in the country, defeated a personhood initiative on the ballot by a margin of 16 points. Today we find out that a personhood initiative in Colorado did not receive enough petition signatures to get on the ballot. Colorado joins 9 other states where personhood failed to get enough signatures.

Instead of realizing that this extreme proposal would not gain traction anywhere, personhood proponents announced their intention to get proposals on the ballot in not one, but one dozen states this year. But as in Mississippi, voters weren’t buying what they were selling and they fell well short of their mark. Voters across the country—in Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, Mississippi (again), Montana, Nevada, Arkansas, Florida and California—all declined to sign petitions in large enough numbers to even put the question on their ballots this fall. – Voters to Personhood: Stick a Fork In It. You’re Done – ACLU

Up until yesterday, it looked like fetal personhood would only be able to make it on the ballot this year in just one state: Colorado, the home of Personhood USA (the national organization behind these efforts). – ACLU

Indeed, Colorado is the only state where personhood proponents have succeeded twice in getting on the ballot in the past– in 2008 and again in 2010. Both times, voters rejected fetal personhood by a 2 to 1 margin. This year was different—they couldn’t even find 1.7 percent of the public willing to sign their petition, let alone vote on it. Two percent of voters think Mitt Romney’s first name is “Mittens” for crying out loud. If you can’t find 2 percent of voters who agree with you, it’s time to throw in the towel. Time to pack your bags and go home. The voters have spoken and they’re not interested. – ACLU