Ohio Republicans have already imposed a slew of voting restrictions in the nation’s most pivotal swing state. But now, they may be gearing up for a renewed push on the most contentious tactic of all: voter ID. The Ohio Christian Alliance (OHA), a conservative group, said last week they’re launching a campaign aimed at getting a voter ID measure passed, either by the legislature or by voters themselves. The effort is already giving heart to Republican voter ID supporters. Here’s how the OHA initiative works: If the group gathers 100,000 signatures by the end of the year, lawmakers would have four months to act on a voter ID bill the group has drawn up.
… The new push for voter ID is just the latest chapter in a voting rights battle that’s been going on in Ohio for almost a decade. In 2004, the state was a poster child for election problems, as some voters waited ten hours or more to cast ballots. Democratic areas were especially hard hit. After Democrats gained control of the legislature, they instituted early voting and other measures aimed at taking the pressure off Election Day. In 2008, things went smoothly. But when Republicans came back to power in 2010, they began working almost immediately to restrict voting again.
Over the last six months, Ohio’s Republican-controlled legislature passed laws that ended same-day voter registration, cut six days of early voting, made it easier to reject provisional ballots, made it harder to obtain an absentee ballot, and reduced the minimum number of voting machines that counties must have on hand, among other steps. In February, Husted issued instructions that eliminated Sunday and evening voting. The ACLU has challenged the early voting cuts—alleging, citing reams of evidence—that they disproportionately affect African-Americans.
Full Article: New campaign for voter ID in Ohio | MSNBC.