Late news: GOP can challenge Ohio voters

In what is sure to be a controversial move, an appellate court overturned the ban on the Republican efforts to challenge individual voters in Ohio. Hopefully this will only increase targeted voters' resolves as has seemed to be the case so far, but if this comes down to the wire in Ohio and this challenging business turns out to have some impact, then we are in for another round of mega-litigation. Great. More from the NYT:

The ruling, by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in Cincinnati, reversed two lower courts that had blocked the challenges just a day before. It also came as squadrons of lawyers from both parties in Ohio and other swing states from Pennsylvania to Florida to New Mexico were preparing for Election Day skirmishes that will include using arcane laws that allow challenges at the polls.

The lawyer for a pair of Cincinnati civil rights activists who had challenged the Republican plans to challenge voters said he would appeal Tuesday morning's decision to the United State Supreme Court.

But it appeared likely that when Ohio polls open, the Republicans would be able to put 3,500 challengers inside polling places around the state. Democrats also planned to send more than 2,000 monitors to the polls, though they said those people would not challenge voters.

That's because, uh, we like democracy.

Comments

[Chrish]

Good, the courts finally used some common sense.
Considering the amount of apparent voter fraud
going on, my parties, the Democrats, insistance
that asking for ID from a voter is considered
voter intimidation, what a load of BS, and now this from the Drudge Report:
http://www.drudgereport.com/vote1.htm

2000 votes already on machines before the polls
even opened? Come on, what the hell is that all about. And you're whining because the Republicans
are trying to ensure everything is OK? Both the Democrats and the Republicans are engaging in some very shady and underhanded games here.

Seems both parties should have observers present
at the polls to eliminate any possibility of improprieties being done and there should be observers there to watch the observers.

Who said they were Kerry votes?? How do you know they weren't Bush votes planted on the machines?

[Luke]

Well the assumption is if Drudge posted it, it must be impugning the Dems.

However, the assumption is, if Drudge posts it, it must be total rubbish. Where else is this story cropping up? Can't find it anywhere. Haven't looked that hard, mind.

[Luke]

Just as I thought, Drudge debunked:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_10_31.php#003908