Politics: Is the Supreme Court About To Swing Another Presidential Election?

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Politics Is the Supreme Court About To Swing Another Presidential Election? If the court cuts early voting in Ohio, it could be a difference maker in the Buckeye State. By Richard L. Hasen Posted Monday, Oct 15, 2012, at 07:52 PM ET The Supreme Court will soon decide whether to reverse a federal court ruling requiring the state of Ohio to let its counties decide whether to permit early voting during the weekend before Election Day. With the presidential race tight in Ohio, and the presidency potentially turning on the state's electoral votes, the court's decision could help determine who will win the White House. While the Obama campaign has a strong policy argument for the extension of early voting to include this final weekend, its constitutional claim is a major stretch. In 2008, more than 100,000 voters—many poor, women, less educated, and minorities—cast ballots in Ohio during the weekend before Election Day. Voting in Ohio in 2008 was a great success compared with 2004, when long lines, especially in urban areas such as Cleveland, were common and discouraged people from voting. Early voting relieved the stress of Election Day.  But the Ohio legislature, dominated by Republicans, cut back on the last weekend of early voting for 2012. Florida's Republican legislature did the same thing, likely out of a belief that this late period of early voting helps Democrats. Especially helpful to Democrats were "Souls to the Polls" programs to bus African-American churchgoers from Sunday services to vote. Indeed, Doug Preisse, chair of the Franklin County Republican Party and elections board member who voted against weekend hours for early voting, explained his reasoning in an email to the Columbus Dispatch. "I guess I really actually feel ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Marriage as an Economic Problem Is the Earth 6,000 Years Old, 9,000 Years Old, or 13,000 Years Old? A Very Unusual Camera That Emphasizes Time Over Space	Advertisement
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