Obama campaign moves to restrict military voting in Ohio (update)

[Twana Blevins]

 

Link to the Brief:

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/files/husted-complaint.pdf

District Court Documents

Complaint pdf file (filed 7/17/12)
Motion for Preliminary Injunction pdf file (filed 7/17/12)
Declaration of Donald J. McTigue pdf file (filed 7/17/12)
Military Groups' Motion to Intervene pdf file (filed 8/1/12)
Defendants' Memorandum Contra Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary In... pdf file (filed 8/1/12)

 

BLACKFIVE

 

Posted By McQ • [August 03, 2012]

 

 

Breitbart’s Mike Flynn reports:

President Barack Obama, along with many Democrats, likes to say that, while they may disagree with the GOP on many issues related to national security, they absolutely share their admiration and dedication to members of our armed forces. Obama, in particular, enjoys being seen visiting troops and having photos taken with members of our military. So, why is his campaign and the Democrat party suing to restrict their ability to vote in the upcoming election?

On July 17th, the Obama for America Campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and the Ohio Democratic Party filed suit in OH to strike down part of that state's law governing voting by members of the military. Their suit said that part of the law is "arbitrary" with "no discernible rational basis."

Currently, Ohio allows the public to vote early in-person up until the Friday before the election. Members of the military are given three extra days to do so. While the Democrats may see this as "arbitrary" and having "no discernible rational basis," I think it is entirely reasonable given the demands on servicemen and women's time and their obligations to their sworn duty.

Flynn cites the National Defense Committeewhich reports:

[f]or each of the last three years, the Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program has reported to the President and the Congress that the number one reason for military voter disenfranchisement is inadequate time to successfully vote.

So here is a law actually trying to provide a little extra time to address the problem cited.  Why the resistance from the Obama campaign and Democrats?

If the polls are to be believed concerning how the military is likely to vote, it wouldn’t favor Obama or the Democrats.  And, of course, Ohio is a swing state.  So they want no extra time allowed for the military to vote.

Mystery solved.

But hey, the military is still useful as props during photo ops and when they help burnish the C-i-C’s rep by killing bad guys like Osama.  Voting?  Yeah, not so much.

UPDATE: From the Marine Corps Times:

Fifteen military groups are opposing a federal lawsuit in Ohio brought by President Obama’s campaign because they say it could threaten voter protections afforded to service members, such as the extended time they have to cast a ballot.

Some of them are:

AMVETS, the National Guard Association of the United States, the Association of the U.S. Army and other organizations asked a judge late Wednesday to dismiss the lawsuit.

What the Obama campaign is trying to undo:

With the changes, most Ohioans now have until the Friday evening before the Tuesday election to cast a ballot in person. But military voters can continue to vote in person until Monday.

Say the military orgs:

The military groups say federal and state law recognizes that service members need extra time to cast their ballots. They say they fear the precedent that could be set if a court finds that military voters shouldn’t be treated differently than other voters.

“Efforts to facilitate and maximize military voting should be welcomed, not viewed with constitutional suspicion,” the groups said in a court filing that seeks to intervene in the case.

Agreed.

 

~McQ

Twitter: @McQandO

 

Military Groups Oppose Obama Campaign Lawsuit

 

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/08/ap-military-groups-oppose-obama-suit-ohio-080212/

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2012/08/obama-campaign-moves-to-restrict-military-voting-in-ohio.html

http://www.nationaldefensecommittee.org/

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/overseas/applyUOCAVA.aspx

http://mvpproject.org/

[Steven G. Elliott]

All democRATS are bottom feeders.

[Twana Blevins]

http://mvpproject.org/press-release/lawsuit-in-ohio-by-the-obama-ca...

Lawsuit in Ohio by the Obama Campaign Fails to Appreciate the Challenges Associated with Military Voting

Statement from Eric Eversole, Founder of Military Voter Protection Project

 

WASHINGTON – The Obama re-election campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and the Ohio Democratic Party recently filed a lawsuit in Ohio arguing that there are no significant differences between military voters and civilian voters. That claim is being made because Ohio’s military voters are being afforded three extra days of early voting before the election.

In response to the lawsuit, the Military Voter Protection Project (MVP)’s Founder and Executive Director Eric Eversole released the following statement:

“We are deeply troubled by the arguments being made by the Obama campaign and the DNC. While the campaign may wish to expand voting opportunities for other voters in Ohio, it shouldn’t do so by ignoring or diminishing the tremendous obstacles faced by military voters.

As President Obama often acknowledges, our military members and their families have made tremendous sacrifices. These military members are constantly on the go moving from one duty station or temporary duty assignment to the next. Many military voters do not know where they will be next week, let alone three months from now when the rest of America votes.

In light of these challenges, Congress and many states like Ohio have undertaken significant efforts to promote and protect the voting rights of our men and women in uniform. Ohio and its Secretary of State, Jon Husted, have done a tremendous job of eliminating obstacles and providing military voters with a full range of voting options. These efforts have made Ohio one of our All-Star states.

While some may question the need for such efforts, most Americans recognize that duty is not an optional exercise. When America calls, our military members have answered that call without fail. Ohio’s military voting laws simply recognize the unique nature of military service. The state should be applauded for its efforts, not made to be a defendant in a lawsuit.

For more information about the Military Voter Protection Project, please visit http://mvpproject.org/.

###

[Jim Bertram]

I got started using absentee ballots when I was in the Air Force. I continue with  that to this day

because I want to be able to study all the proposals etc more fully. I have often wondered about

what really happens to the ballot once it got back to the County Clerks office. I live now in New Mexico,

where the State offices have been in Democrat hands since Cochise and Geronimo, making it even more suspect.

I have no way of knowing whether any of my votes have been counted. (Although now it won't matter since

my State is bound to the Scumbag by welfare!, and my vote never counts here, absentee or otherwise.)

 

Jim Bertram

USAF Ret.

 

 

 

[Ronald King]

James, My  neighbor  across  the  st.  Retired   USAF , 28 yrs, George  McCall;; now  92, just  said  the  same  thing~~Is  my  vote  counted..?? Well  he   said,  he  will  check  the  County Clerk's  office  for  the  answer  and how  many  ballots  did  come  In..!!  Flying on,  &  Keepin' On..!!

[35q64ps6xl30l]

James, I often vote absentee just because I have mobility issues. Each year around election time, I read articles that in OH absentee ballots are only opened if the election is close enough to make a difference, I asked my Board of Elections rep last year and she said, "Absolutely, OH law requires the opening of ALL absentee ballots received by the date on the letter sent out with them, and they must be counted!" I only hope she was the person in charge because I discovered that they had someone from Columbus, come to "Help" with the larger than expected turnout because of the issues on the ballot!

[GRINGO LUCERO]

Mom's and Wives of Military tend to get enraged at underhanded destructive things that are done to their family in Uniform by Our OWN GOVERNMENT.  Join me and get this out:  Go here, get each E-Mail tell them http://www.alaforveterans.org/contact/state_headquarters/Pages/Depa...  Also Invite them here by simultaneously pulling up your invite box and copy -paste - NOTE- ERASE the part of the e-mail address that has these brackets - <......>  for example  /strong> [e-mail] >  and just leave [e-mail]  .  For GOD Sake, GET THE FOLKS on YOUR E-MAIL LIST to DO The SAME ! ! ! !

[David Curtis]

 HOW CAN o DO THAT,IT THERE RIGHT TO VOTE?????????????

[GRINGO LUCERO]

Mom's and Wives of Military tend to get enraged at underhanded destructive things that are done to their family in Uniform by Our OWN GOVERNMENT.  Join me and get this out:  Go here, get each E-Mail tell them http://www.alaforveterans.org/contact/state_headquarters/Pages/Depa...  Also Invite them here by simultaneously pulling up your invite box and copy -paste - NOTE- ERASE the part of the e-mail address that has these brackets - <......>  for example  /strong> [e-mail] >  and just leave [e-mail]  .  For GOD Sake, GET THE FOLKS on YOUR E-MAIL LIST to DO The SAME ! ! ! !

[GRINGO LUCERO]

Well Now this situation makes this group VERY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW  http://mvpproject.org/   Let's Get Our Congreessmen apprized that we'll NOT stand for THIS ....EITHER. Tell them http://conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm  . Mine to Senator Cornyn, ( Hutchison is a lost case),  - Hon. Senator Cornyn:: Please step up and demand that our Usurper President immediately cease all efforts to deter our military members from voting.  This Goes Beyond INTOLERABLE -http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/files/husted-complaint.pdf.  Although this is OHIO, certainly more malevolent destruction will emanate from the office of this treasonus occupier of POTUS  

[Twana Blevins]

H/T Beverly Perlson

Band of Mothers

 

 

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