The US Supreme Court granted the Ohio Republican Party its wish by restricting early voting. The 2014 and 2016 elections will be very interesting as the GOP continues its efforts to stymie pro-Democratic Party votes by engaging in shameful voter suppression tactics. So, while Jon Husted managed to get early voting rolled back by one week, it should raise some concerns because it seems we’re picking up where we left off during the 2012 elections. [icopyright one button toolbar]
Here’s more from SCOTUSBlog:

With just sixteen hours before polling stations were to open in Ohio, the Supreme Court on Monday afternoon blocked voters from beginning tomorrow to cast their ballots in this year’s general election.  By a vote of five to four, the Justices put on hold a federal judge’s order providing new opportunities for voting before election day, beyond what state leaders wanted.

The order will remain in effect until the Court acts on an appeal by state officials.  If that is denied, then the order lapses.  It is unclear when that scenario will unfold.  The state’s petition has not yet been filed formally.

The practical effect of the order will mean that, at the least, early voting will not be allowed this week — a period that supporters of early balloting have called “Golden Week.” That permits voters to register and cast their ballots on the same day.

Depending upon the timing of the state’s filing of a petition for review and the Court’s action on it, Monday’s order may also mean that early voting will not be permitted on most Sundays between now and election day, November 4, and will not be permitted during evening hours — that is, after 5 p.m.

[…]

Monday’s order had the support of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Justices Samuel A. Alito,, Jr., Anthony M. Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas, although their votes were not noted in the order.  It would have taken five votes to support such an order.

Dissenting were Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor.  They would have denied the request of the Ohio attorney general and secretary of state to postpone the decision in favor of more early voting, a ruling early this month by U.S. District Judge Peter C. Economus of Columbus.

This comes as the wrangling over North Carolina’s voter suppression law will be revisited by a panel of judges with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, who are now considering whether to affirm or reverse that decision, Think Progress reports.

This was cross-posted from The Hinterland Gazette.