Applying the law equally

Judge strikes down Ohio early voting law

Ok, I hope I got this correctly.

The legislature of State of Ohio standardized its early voting procedures. Before that the people wanting to vote early had to check with their local county board of elections (all 88 of them) which had different hours on different days. However, it seems, they could vote on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday prior to the election (even if hours on Saturday and Sunday were reduced in some counties but not in others). The new legislation cut off early voting on the Friday before election Tuesday so that local election boards would have time to prepare for Tuesday.

However, the legislation allowed an exemption for those serving in the military or coming back from overseas, to vote on Monday (it is unclear whether the local boards had to be open on Saturday and Sunday). The judge ruled that exemption was unconstitutional infringement on the privilege for those not covered by the exemption and that if early voting was extended to the serving military and/or people returning from overseas to vote on Monday, then everyone should have until Monday.

Ok, I can buy that or, an alternative interpretation could be that those who could have voted until Monday now have to vote by Friday. I admit, I am not a legal beagle but it would seem to me that with the exemption struck down, then early voting for the majority would be the time that stands. But then, what the heck, it is just a law right? We can ignore those we don’t like.

Anyway, it seems everybody gets until Monday to vote in Ohio … that is if they don’t want to vote on Tuesday, which is Election Day, but we want people not to have to inconvenience themselves on Tuesday. It might discourage participation in the election. They might have to stand in a line.

Anyway, my sympathies to the county election officials and I just hope they have their ducks in a row.