Editorials: Fair elections and double standards | Cincinnati Enquirer

The decision not to prosecute Hamilton County voters who had registered using addresses that weren’t their residences seems on its face like a reasonable one. But in light of the recent five-year sentence handed down to a poll worker convicted of voter fraud, it’s imperative that officials strive to treat all cases of voter impropriety with the same standards. The 85 voters who registered using ineligible addresses may or may not have known that doing so is a felony. They include more than a dozen police officers who registered using the police stations where they work, apparently in an attempt to keep their home addresses from becoming public knowledge.
While the motivation is understandable, the registration form clearly asks for a voter’s home address. Since the number of police officers found out of compliance was small, it’s clear that the majority of officers in the region manage to register properly. Many probably know there’s a way for law enforcement officers to keep their addresses hidden when they register to vote.
Other voters who registered improperly used post office boxes, UPS and Cricket stores and a Newtown organization for motorhome enthusiasts, at least some of whom live primarily in their recreational vehicles. Some of those voters voted in last fall’s election; some voted years ago; others have never voted. The Hamilton County Board of Elections decided to send letters to the voters letting them know their registration has been challenged and must be corrected within 30 days. The investigation and decision were completed quickly
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