Author Archives: J Christian Adams

Georgia SOS: “Minority voter participation up since Georgia photo ID implemented”

As opponents of the nation’s newest voter ID legislation argued in court
this week the measure would unfairly disenfranchise minority voters,
Georgia’s top election official told a local business publication that
his state had witnessed an astronomical increase in minority
participation since the tightening of its own election laws.

…“When you compare the ‘04 presidential election to ‘08, then the ‘06
governor’s election to 2010, the minority participation went up
astronomically – Latino and African-American voters,” Kemp told Georgia Trend magazine. “We have the numbers to prove that. Stories about suppression – that’s just not the case. There are big increases.”

Link to Georgiatipsheet.

“Obama Campaign Opens Can of Worms with Ohio Early Voting Lawsuit”

National Journal reports that military groups, fearing loss of privileges, line up with Romney against the Democrats.

When the Obama campaign filed suit to restore three days of early voting in Ohio the weekend before the election, it was supposed to be about increasing access for the thousands of Ohioans expected to take advantage of those final 72 hours to cast their ballots.

But
the campaign has inadvertently stepped into a minefield, aggravating a
group that no commander-in-chief wants to upset — military voters, who
fear they could lose access to other special accommodations if Obama and
the Democrats prevail.


… Opponents of the lawsuit said the issue wasn’t about Ohio or
electoral votes or voter suppression, but that they were concerned the
Obama campaign’s argument, if upheld, would set a legal precedent that
would make it more difficult to make special accommodations for military
service members in other states and other arenas.

“It’s not necessarily a problem with trying to expand voting rights to other citizens of Ohio.
The real concern is that in order to expand those rights, they’re
making arguments that are detrimental to military voters,” said Eric
Eversole, executive director of the Military Voter Protection Project.
“The equal-protection argument fails to recognize the obstacles that
service members face even when they attempt to vote.”

Eversole
said he fears what kind of repercussions such an argument would have. In
particular, he mentioned residency requirements for voting, which are
different in some places for active-duty military, and hiring
preferences for service members returning to the workforce.

“Keeping the military from voting in Ohio”

Numerous military veterans groups have expressed consternation over a
recent lawsuit filed by Obama for America as well as the Democratic
National Committee and the Ohio Democratic Party against the Ohio
Secretary of State over early voting in Ohio. They are right to be
concerned.

…Ohio has a rational and practical reason to provide members of the
military, many of whom put their lives on the line for us every day,
extra time to vote. This is not arbitrary, capricious, or somehow unfair
to other voters. And it has a perfectly rational reason related to
election administration to end early voting for other Ohio voters three
days before election day. The courts should rule against Obama and the
DNC to ensure that those who defend and serve will have every
opportunity to vote in November.  

Link to full story

“Secretary Aichele — Please don’t play Holder’s game”

Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

“Holder’s Pennsylvania actions are just plays out of a well-established political playbook. Play One — ignore that voter fraud exists; Play Two — file numerous, expensive legal actions; and Play Three — call anyone in favor of an open election a racist. Play Three conjures the worst of our history just to foreclose mature debate.

If the commonwealth complies with Holder’s demands, DOJ will certainly institute yet another costly Voter ID legal action. The DOJ, the ACLU and the NAACP have a well-timed, well-coordinated, multicourt strategy designed to burden each state brazen enough to ask for validation that a purported voter is, in fact, who he says he is.


In Holder’s game, only those who need the votes of the dead or of fictional characters are winners. Secretary Aichele — you don’t have to play, so please don’t.”

Salon writer claims DOJ is trying to block Ohio law providing early voting to vets

At the link, Salon writer Joan Walsh claims that Romney is willfully misreading the Justice Department’s efforts to block an Ohio law that limits early voting to vets.  What in the world is she talking about?

Note to Salon Editor:  I know it is difficult to discern the difference between the Obama campaign and the Obama Department of Justice, but it is doubtful there is any truth that DOJ is actually involved in the lawsuit (except behind the scenes).  Waiting for the correction or simply removing the article altogether.