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FitzGerald Applauds Federal Court Decision to Restore Early Voting Days in Ohio
Media contacts:
Rich Luchette: (216) 698-5637, (216) 797-0931, or rluchette@cuyahogacounty.us
CLEVELAND - Today, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio determined again that the voting restrictions imposed by Secretary of State Jon Husted, Governor Kasich, and the Ohio legislature violate the U.S. Constitution. The Court entered a permanent injunction against the State in Obama for America v. Husted, Case No. 2:12-cv-636 and restored early voting in the three days before the election.
Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald stated:
"I applaud the court's decision today to restore early voting days in Ohio and especially its explicit recognition that Governor Kasich and Secretary of State Husted have actively undermined basic protections enshrined in the United States Constitution. I also thank Cuyahoga County's Law Department for filing the amicus briefs that were critical to establishing the precedent Judge Economus cited today."
"It is critical that all public officials move forward in the days ahead to protect the right to vote for all Ohioans. Cuyahoga County will continue to play an active role in this fight, and we're not going to rest until we're confident every Ohio voter can make their voice heard this November."
Cuyahoga County filed amicus briefs upon which the courts relied in the district court and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in issuing the preliminary injunction in this case, which the Court reaffirmed today.
Critically, in today's decision, the Court opined that Secretary Husted cannot avoid his obligations under the U.S. Constitution by creating a sham task force through which to parrot his voting restrictions. The Court explained: "while Directive 2014-06 may adopt an election schedule approved by the Ohio Association of Election Officials ("OAEO"), the fact that the OAEO is a non-partisan body is not relevant to the constitutional deficiencies" of the State's actions.
Rich Luchette: (216) 698-5637, (216) 797-0931, or rluchette@cuyahogacounty.us
CLEVELAND - Today, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio determined again that the voting restrictions imposed by Secretary of State Jon Husted, Governor Kasich, and the Ohio legislature violate the U.S. Constitution. The Court entered a permanent injunction against the State in Obama for America v. Husted, Case No. 2:12-cv-636 and restored early voting in the three days before the election.
Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald stated:
"I applaud the court's decision today to restore early voting days in Ohio and especially its explicit recognition that Governor Kasich and Secretary of State Husted have actively undermined basic protections enshrined in the United States Constitution. I also thank Cuyahoga County's Law Department for filing the amicus briefs that were critical to establishing the precedent Judge Economus cited today."
"It is critical that all public officials move forward in the days ahead to protect the right to vote for all Ohioans. Cuyahoga County will continue to play an active role in this fight, and we're not going to rest until we're confident every Ohio voter can make their voice heard this November."
Cuyahoga County filed amicus briefs upon which the courts relied in the district court and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in issuing the preliminary injunction in this case, which the Court reaffirmed today.
Critically, in today's decision, the Court opined that Secretary Husted cannot avoid his obligations under the U.S. Constitution by creating a sham task force through which to parrot his voting restrictions. The Court explained: "while Directive 2014-06 may adopt an election schedule approved by the Ohio Association of Election Officials ("OAEO"), the fact that the OAEO is a non-partisan body is not relevant to the constitutional deficiencies" of the State's actions.
