League of Women Voters of Ohio and State Settle Historic Lawsuit

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 00:00

Press Release from League of Women Voters Ohio

Columbus, Ohio -- The League of Women Voters of Ohio, the League of Women Voters of Toledo-Lucas County, and a dozen Ohio citizens reached a historic agreement with the State of Ohio to fix defects in the way Ohio conducts itsfederal elections.

“Ohio voters won a great victory today with the settlement of this case which was about giving all eligible Ohio voters the chance to vote in a fair election and have their votes counted", said Meg G. Flack, president of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. “Careful planning and uniform execution of elections was our goal and we believe this agreement achieves that.”

The agreement, calling for new institutional procedures in the electoral process, settles a lawsuit filed in 2005 that alleged that then Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, Governor Bob Taft, and their predecessors had failed to protect the fundamental rights of eligible Ohio voters to cast a meaningful ballot, as required by the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This landmark agreement is binding on the state to provide for uniformity and consistency in Ohio election procedures so that the opportunity to vote can be enjoyed equally by all Ohio citizens.

Fact Sheet

Settlement

Source