Federal observers will be present at polling locations on Tuesday
COLUMBUS - State Representative Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) issued the following statement applauding the U.S. Department of Justice's decision to place federal observers at polling locations for Tuesday's primary.
"Ohio has a provisional ballot crisis. We capture too many ballots in a dangerous maze never to be counted. With a 2010 Hamilton County judges race still unresolved 16 months later and Republican officials fighting every step of the way to throw out votes, we needed to do everything possible to restore the integrity of the democratic voting process. It is imperative that voters are assured that when they exercise their right to vote, their vote is actually counted. There was no improvement in our provisional ballot problem in this state from 2010 to the 2011 election and we had no choice but to ask for help.
"Additionally, given the extreme problems other states have had counting their votes in Republican caucuses and primaries, it will be a welcome added protection to have elections experts here protecting the voting rights of Ohioans of all political parties."
Rep. Reece wrote to United States Attorney General Eric Holder in January, requesting that the Department of Justice send federal election observers to Hamilton County for the 2012 election. The letter raised concerns over the procedure for counting provisional ballots miscast due to poll worker error and cites the unresolved 2010 Hamilton County Juvenile Court race as evidence that federal assistance is needed.
