Columbus - The Senate Democratic Caucus' leadership team today sent the following letter to Secretary of State Jon Husted:
Secretary of State Husted:
We write to you regarding the unequal access to the polls that exists for extended early voting hours in Ohio. Thanks to tie-breaking votes you cast, Ohio's largest counties, which have significant minority populations and tend to vote Democratic, will not have extended early voting hours. In the meantime, several Republican leaning counties will have additional early voting hours. This defies the fundamental values of our democracy and raises suspicion that our voting system is being manipulated for partisan advantage.
Throughout your tenure as Secretary of State you have claimed to advocate for "uniform standards" that treat all voters the same. Unfortunately, it has become abundantly clear that all voters in Ohio are not being treated the same in regards to early voting and any notion of "uniform standards" has been thrown out the window. That is unacceptable and must be rectified immediately.
We call on you to take action to ensure fair and equal access to extended early voting hours across the state. Whether you decide to reconsider your tie-breaking votes or issue a new directive, the result should be giving all Ohioans the opportunity to vote beyond normal business hours at their local boards of election.
Respectfully yours,
Sen. Eric H. KearneySen. Edna Brown
Sen. Joe Schiavoni
Sen. Tom Sawyer
Sen. Nina Turner
