Judges block challenges on Ohio voter eligibility

TWO US federal judges yesterday barred parties from posting challengers at polling places throughout Ohio, saying poll workers, not outsiders, should determine voter eligibility.

An order by District Judge Susan Dlott in Cincinnati found that the application of Ohio’s statute allowing challengers at polling places was unconstitutional.

In a similar case, District Judge John Adams of Akron said poll workers are the ones to determine if voters are eligible.

State Republicans plan to appeal against the decision.

“In light of these extraordinary circumstances, and the contentious nature of the imminent election, the court cannot and must not turn a blind eye to the substantial likelihood that significant harm will result not only to voters, but also to the voting process itself, if appointed challengers are permitted at the polls,” Judge Adams said.

Judge Dlott said the presence of challengers inexperienced in the electoral process would impede voting.

In comments made before Judge Adams ruled, Mark Weaver, lawyer for the Ohio Republican Party, called Judge Dlott’s ruling erroneous and said the party would ask the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati to overturn it.

Judge Dlott ruled on a lawsuit by a black Cincinnati couple who said Republican plans to deploy challengers to largely black precincts in Hamilton County was meant to intimidate and block black voters.

Judge Adams ruled in a suit by the Summit County Democratic Party, which claimed the law allowing registration challenges is unconstitutional because it does not give a disqualified voter a chance to appeal in time to cast a ballot.

Republicans wanted to put challengers in many polling places because of concerns about fraud with hundreds of thousands of newly registered voters in a state George Bush and John Kerry both need to win.