Voting suppression has advanced in Ohio. And despite all the explanations everyone in both parties really knows what is going on. But America’s rhetorical ballet requires that parties that benefit it insist what’s going on is not going on and then go on the attack against those who note what’s going on. My 19 year old cat would know what’s going on here:
Ohio voters will no longer be able to take part in early voting on Sundays or weekday nights, according to hours set by Secretary of State Jon Husted.
The AP reports voters will only get two Saturdays to cast early, in-person ballots during the statewide election this fall.
In a release on the “fair and uniform voting hours,” Husted explained the goal of cutting back on opportunities for early voting.
“In 2014, absentee voters will have the option of voting in person for four weeks, or they can vote without ever leaving home by completing the absentee ballot request form we will be sending all voters,” Husted said. “Our goal is to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat and to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity in the voting process no matter which method they choose.”
The cuts to early voting hours could negatively impact African-Americans and voters who take part in “Souls to the Polls” drives after church on the Sundays leading up to Election Day, MSNBC reports.
But it isn’t just MSNBC that notices it. And I’m betting many independents notice it as well. This move is as accurately mean to create uniform voting and not impact one group just as the Arizona religious freedom law is only about religious freedom and certainly cannot be construed as going after one group.
(My cat is nodding.)
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.