Federal judge orders early voting restored in Ohio

A U.S. Court Judge on June 11 ordered Ohio’s Secretary of State to restore the final three days of early in-person voting, handing the Obama administration a victory before the crucial midterm elections in November.

Judge Peter C. Economus issued the decision in a case titled Obama for America, et al., vs Jon Husted. Judge Economus ruled against a state decision that cut off early voting three days before election day.

Ohio’s law, which was passed in 2011, ended in-person voting on Friday, three days before Tuesday’s election. The law, however, allowed members of the military and overseas voters to cast ballots in-person until Monday.

Democrats sued Husted, Ohio’s Secretary of State, saying the exception amounted to unequal treatment of voters.

Judge Economus agreed and granted a permanent injunction.

“As specified in the judgment and permanent injunction issued herewith, the court will require Secretary of State Husted to restore uniform and suitable in-person early voting hours for all eligible voters for the three days preceding all future elections,” Judge Economus wrote.

This article originally published in the June 16, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.