Remember that thing in Ohio where the state government in Ohio took away early voting for everyone except members of the military and then the Federal Government filed a lawsuit saying that the State had to treat all their voters equally? And then the Republicans spun that by saying OBAMA HATES THE MILITARY and doesn’t want them to vote?
Well, a Federal Judge ruled that the State doesn’t get to pick and choose among groups regarding who gets to vote when, citing, oh – basic fairness, and also precedents such as
“A citizen has a constitutionally protected right to participate in elections on an equal
basis with other citizens in the jurisdiction.” Dunn v. Blumstein, 405 U.S. 330, 336 (1972).Bush v. Gore:
The right to vote is protected in more than the initial allocation of
the franchise. Equal protection applies as well to the manner of its
exercise. Having once granted the right to vote on equal terms,
the State may not, by later arbitrary and disparate treatment,
value one person’s vote over that of another.
And now EVERYONE in Ohio gets to do early voting if they want to.
So Yaaay Federal Judge PETER C. ECONOMUS for protecting basic civil rights in Ohio.
Some how I doubt your sincerity.
I feel sorry for you that you are filled with such cynicism.
Voting rights are fundamental to our way of life in this democratic republic.
(inb4: Why, yes, Eric Holder SHOULD have brought the New Black Panthers up on charges of voter intimidation)
I’m only being cynical about you (and Eward to a lesser degree).
And here I thought we were getting on so much better.
BTW – the ruling is fine with me. Equal voting opportunity for all.
Now, in that we can agree. Poll taxes and other impediments to voting are not really appropriate to our republic. What is interesting about all this is that, in 2001, the first year I voted in Pennsylvania, I tried to show my photo ID to prove I was who I said I was. They would not look at it. Now, this year, they will insist that I show it. Hope I don’t forget to take it along.
What a unique idea: all citizens have an equal vote and an equal right to vote. Who came up with that one?
Lyndon Johnson?
I was thinking somewhat earlier but you may be right.
I think this may be appealed.
@Ed- I plan to tug my forelock while showing my photo ID this year.
Steve
Without question the vast majority of Americans support SPECIAL benefits for Military personnel.
The GI Bill was NOT available to anyone else but vets….no one complained because, that didn’t treat people “unfairly.” We all simply assume that military service comes with special benefits. NO ONE ever opposed that and no one to this date has ever questioned it.
Here, a special benefit (early voting for Military personnel) was effectively eradicated (via diluting its benefit) by giving that same benefit to everyone.
A military service-person deployed might NEED to vote early, OR be given more time to get in an absentee ballot, whereas suburbanite Ohioan living in their comfy suburbanite spread doesn’t have any such obstacles to contend with which would necessitate such extra consideration…..
They were going to have the voting stations open anyway, so no reason to not have everyone vote. Based on my experiences both as enlisted and as an officer, it was easier to get out to vote while in the military. It was actively encouraged. Guess that could have changed, but doubt it.
Steve
Without question the vast majority of Americans support SPECIAL benefits for Military personnel.
Irrelevant – the only question at hand is whether or not the actions were Constitutional.
Also, you never struck me as the kind of guy to give a damn about what the vast majority of Americans thought in the first place.
The GI Bill established what we all already knew – that the Constitution DOES allow for special (earned) considerations for Military service.
I’ll just refer back to my previously quoted Federal Court precedents:
The relevant concept here, I think, is fundamental rights vs. extended benefits.
Voting is a fundamental right for which the government may not favor one group over another.
The GI Bill – an education subsidy which is not a fundamental right – is an extended benefit which the government provided to soldiers originally as a means of softening the post WWII transition for soldiers and continued as a benefit program for the Veterans Lobby. With the advent of the all volunteer force, the GI Bill acts as an inducement for recruitment.
So to claim that the GI Bill is an example of the propriety of special benefits for soldiers makes as much – or as little – sense as claiming that a soldier’s monthly pay proves the same point.