Executive Summary

In Ohio, political figures--from statewide elected officials and state legislators to members of
county boards of election--have introduced voter suppression policies that make it increasingly
difficult for minority voters to exercise their rights to vote. The motivation behind these efforts
has been admittedly partisan and at times racially charged, with some officials articulating the
political benefit of restricting access for some voters, or expressing controversial views on race.

Ohio greatly expanded absentee and early voting after the 2004 election, when long lines at the
polls prevented thousands of Ohioans from voting in the tight presidential race in this pivotal
swing state. In recent years, however, Ohio Republicans have cut back on early and weekend
voting and are pushing for even greater restrictions, including requiring voters to show photo
identification at the polls.

Research has shown that voter suppressions policies, like forcing residents to show
identification before casting a ballot, disproportionately affect minorities, senior citizens, the
disabled, and low-income voters.

While politicians tout rampant voter fraud as the rationale behind such restrictive policies, in
reality there is no evidence of widespread fraudulent voting taking place in Ohio or in any other
state. Instead, Ohios status as a critical swing state in presidential elections is highly relevant
when examining the motives of politicians who advocate for voter suppression policies. The
Ohio officials who advocate for these policies have openly expressed political motivations for
disenfranchising minority voters, who are more likely to vote Democratic.

Regulations to restrict voting are being pushed by prominent Ohio statewide elected officials,
like Secretary of State Jon Husted, whose election policies have repeatedly been challenged in
an ongoing series of major voting rights lawsuits. Governor John Kasich is also responsible for
signing controversial voter suppression bills into law after Republicans pushed them through
the state legislature.

Most voter suppression policies in Ohio originate in the state legislature, with county boards of
election administering elections according to state law. As a result, lower-profile state
legislators and members of county boards of election have a great deal of power and
responsibility for shaping voting and election policies. Unfortunately, many state and local
officials support voter suppression policies, often revealing their partisan, and at times racially
charged, motivations. These policies disenfranchise minority voters, making it unnecessarily
burdensome for them to exercise their constitutional rights to vote.

This report examines recent voter suppression initiatives in Ohio, shedding light on the players
behind these efforts and the problematic partisan, and at times racially charged, motivations
that shape their decisions. Statewide elected officials and several state legislators notable for
voter suppression actions were investigated, as were county boards of elections in the four
most populous counties in Ohio, highlighting particularly problematic election board members.
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Additionally, this report examines influential voter suppression groups with strong political ties
and obviously partisan goals working in Ohio to disenfranchise minority voters.

Voter Suppression in Ohio

Voter Restrictions in Ohio

Voter Identification Requirements

Ohio currently enforces a voter ID law that requires voters to show identification, though not
necessarily photo identification, in order to cast their ballots. The voter ID bill, signed into law
in 2006 by then-Governor Bob Taft, requires voters to prove their identities at the polls by
showing a drivers license, state photo ID, military ID, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck,
government check or other government document showing the voters name and address.1
Voters who do not provide accepted identification at the polls may cast a provisional ballot that
will be counted only if a voter returns to their county board of elections in the following seven
days to provide identification.2

Challenges to Ohios Voter ID Law

Several advocacy groups opposed Ohios voter ID bill. The executive director of the Coalition on
Homelessness and Housing in Ohio said that a review of the 2004 Ohio elections found only
four illegal votes in nine million cast, calling the voter ID legislation overkill to a problem that
theyve not demonstrated that we even have. The groups opposed to the voter ID legislation
argued that it would disproportionately discourage low-income voters, elderly voters, and
college students.3 The House bills sponsor, Rep. Kevin DeWine, brushed aside such criticism,
arguing that the integrity of the system was more important than voter convenience.4

The new voter ID legislation was the subject of a legal battle ahead of the 2006 elections when
labor and poverty groups sued the state over the new law as it applied to absentee voting.5 The
new law required an absentee voter to submit an application that included a drivers license
number, the last four digits of the voters Social Security number, or a copy of a current photo
identification, military identification, utility bill, or bank statement.6 The case was eventually
settled with an agreement that allowed all absentee ballots to be counted regardless of
whether ID was supplied, and expanded which types of ID were acceptable, although the
agreement applied only to the November 2006 election.7

Ongoing Battle for Even More Restrictive Voter ID Laws

Although Ohios current voter ID law does not require that voters present a photo ID in order to
vote, Republicans state legislators have been attempting to pass a photo ID bill for years in the
Ohio House, introducing separate photo ID laws in 2014 and 2015 that would eliminate all nonphoto IDs from accepted identification at the polls. Neither of the bills passed.8
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In 2011, Republicans state legislators in Ohio pushed what would have been the most
restrictive voter ID law in the country at the time.9 A range of groups opposed the photo ID
plan, including labor groups, AARP Ohio, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, and the NAACP.
The opposing groups noted that 11 percent of Ohioans do not have government-issued photo
identification required by the plan and argued that the requirement constituted a modern-day
poll tax.10

Failed Attempt to Prevent Students from Voting Through Voter ID

In 2013, Republican state legislators in Ohio attempted to force colleges and universities to
offer in-state tuition to students who obtained documents to use as voter ID. The provision,
which was tacked onto the state budget bills, was criticized as a way to discourage students
from voting, as well as a measure that could potentially cost colleges and universities hundreds
of millions of dollars.

Voting rights groups, including the League of Women Voters, argued that the measure was
designed to discourage universities from providing documentation that would qualify as voter
identification to their students.11 An editorial by the Akron Beacon Journal stated that
Democrats and voting rights advocates rightly fear[ed] that universities, threatened with the
loss of revenue from higher tuition charged to out-of-state students, would simply stop
providing the documentation needed for students to gain access to the polls, if the measure
had passed.12

Election Administration Issues

Early Voting in Ohio

Early voting was expanded in Ohio after the 2004 presidential election, when long lines
prevented thousands from voting, particularly in minority areas. Because problems with voting
in the pivotal swing state may have had an actual impact on the outcome of the 2004
presidential election, state law was then changed to allow any voter to cast an absentee ballot
and to open early voting thirty-five days before an election. These changes also included the
creation of Golden Week, a five-day period where voters were able to register to vote and cast
a ballot at the same time, although Ohioans must register to vote at least thirty days before an
election.13

Cuts to Early Voting, Weekend Voting, and Golden Week

Since that expansion of early voting, however, members of the Ohio legislature have worked to
cut back on early voting hours in the state, despite concerns that it will make it more difficult
for minority voters to cast their ballot. Early voting, and specifically weekend (including Sunday)
voting are especially popular with minority voters. In fact, a 2008 study found that 56 percent
of weekend voters in Cuyahoga County, Ohios most populous county, were black.14
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The Ohio legislature significantly cut back on early voting in 2014, passing a bill that cut its
thirty-five-day early voting period by six days. The legislation also eliminated Golden Week.
Another bill passed by the legislature changed rules on absentee ballot applications, prohibiting
county election boards from sending them unsolicited.15

The bills were signed into law by Governor Kasich in February 2014. Opponents of the new
voting restrictions argued that the laws would disproportionately affect voters in urban areas,
making it more difficult for some Ohioans to vote and leading to an increase in discarded
absentee ballots.16

Limited Progress on Online Voter Registration

Ohio has made limited progress towards allowing online voter registration, a modern and
convenient process that can make it easier for residents to vote. Governor Kasich, in June 2016,
signed legislation that will allow online voter registration starting in January 2017.

There are two major criticisms of the bill, however: that it will not be implemented in time for
the 2016 presidential election, and that it requires registrants to have an Ohio drivers license
or state photo IDa much stricter ID requirement than to register to vote on paper.17 Ohio
House Republicans voted to delay the implementation of the system until after the 2016
presidential election, despite the fact that even Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted, a
longtime advocate of online voter registration, has said that the system is ready to be
implemented immediately.18

Voter Suppression from the Top Down

Secretary of State Jon Husted

Jon Husted, who has served as Ohios secretary of state since 2011, has been at the forefront of
suppressing voting rights in his state. Husteds changes to election and voting lawsincluding
cuts to early and weekend voting and aggressive purges of Ohio voter rollshave been
repeatedly challenged in major voting rights lawsuits.

He has been criticized for advocating for partisan election policies that Ohio Republicans have
designed to discourage voters in Democratic areas from casting their ballots. Husted, who
previously served as a top Republican in the state legislature, has repeatedly denied that his
policies make it harder for Ohioans to vote.

Husted defended his voter suppression policies while addressing a Cincinnati Tea Party dinner
in 2012 where leaders of the Ohio Voter Integrity Projecta local voter suppression
organization affiliated with the national group, True the Votealso spoke. Speaking to the Tea
Party members, he said, I get a little frustrated when I hear some folks use terms like Jim

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Crow and voter suppression and disenfranchisement when it comes to Ohio elections. . . .
No responsible person can hear about how easy it is to vote in Ohio and think that its hard to
vote in Ohio, wouldnt you say?19

Cuts to Early Voting and Weekend Voting Restrictions

Cuts to Early and Sunday Voting in 2014

Secretary of State Husted supported the effort that cut early voting from thirty-five days to
twenty-eight days in 2014. He argued that eliminating Ohios Golden Week was not an
infringement on voters who are serious about casting ballots.20 After Governor Kasich signed
the legislatures early voting restrictions into law, Husted announced an early voting schedule
before the 2014 elections that included two Saturdays but no Sundays. This particularly
affected African American communities that have popularized after-church voting.

Public records of emails between officials in the secretary of states office, including Husted
himself, displayed a partisan approach to distributing voter education materials after
implementing new early voting policies.

In emails where secretary of state officials discussed which groups should receive voter
education materials about the states new early voting protocol, communications focused on
targeting conservative groups, like the Tea Party, Right to Life, and even the Ohio Voter
Integrity Project, a voter suppression group that actively challenges the registrations of Ohio
voters. The secretary of states communications director even asked whether the government
office should exclude all non-Republican legislators when sharing voter education materials.21

Husteds cuts to early votingand specifically the elimination of Sunday voting days and
evening voting hourswas protested by a range of groups. Democrats questioned the legality
of the new early voting schedule and argued that it would make it harder for low-income and
minority voters to vote, especially in urban areas.22

Black clergy members also protested Husteds cuts to early voting, which eliminated a practice
known as souls to the polls, wherein African American churches organize transportation for
congregants to cast their ballots after church. A letter from a group called the United Clergy of
Greater Cleveland, which represented 100 congregations, wrote a letter to Husted noting that
the eliminated voting hours have proven to be most convenient for many minorities, workers,
students, elderly persons and persons with little resources and that the groups members saw
little justification in [Husteds] act, which allowed many to paint this as partisan jockeying
and an effort to suppress the minority vote.23

Legal Challenges to Early Voting Cuts

The cuts to early voting were challenged by voting and civil rights organizations, including the
NAACP, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, and several African American churches, which
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filed a lawsuit naming Secretary of State Jon Husted and Attorney General Mike DeWine as
defendants. The groups argued that the cuts to voting hours violated both the equal protection
clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act, and discriminated against low-income
and African American voters.24

A federal judge ruled in favor of the voting rights groups, ordering Husted to restore the cut
early voting hours; however, the courts ruling was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court, which
granted an emergency plea from Husted to block the ordered expansion of voting hours.
Husted settled the case in 2015, maintaining the elimination of Golden Week but establishing
evening and Sunday hours for several weeks prior to the 2016 presidential election and through
2018.25

In May 2016, a federal judge ruled that Husteds cuts to early voting, including the elimination
of Golden Week, will disproportionately burden African-Americans and violated the Voting
Rights Act.26 After Husted appealed, however, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the
ruling, upholding the law that eliminated the Golden Week of voting. The U.S. Supreme Court
left intact the decision of the Sixth Circuit and declined to restore the Golden Week of voting in
Ohio.27

2012 Early Voting Battle

Two years previous to the voter suppression controversies he prompted in 2014, Secretary of
State Husted was behind another controversial challenge to early voting. He helped draft a
sweeping elections bill passed by the Republican-dominated Ohio Senate that would cut early
voting and move the 2012 presidential primary from March to May. He said the bill would
ensure consistency, accuracy and security in Ohios elections process. The bill, HB 194,
drastically cut in-person early voting from thirty-five to seventeen days and eliminated most
weekend voting hours, among other restrictions.28

HB 194 was so controversial that, after voting rights advocates gathered enough signatures for
a referendum on the November 2012 ballot, Ohio lawmakers repealed the bill rather than risk
defeat at the polls.29 Opponents had argued that the bill unfairly targeted minority voters,
senior citizens, and college students by cutting access to voting. Despite HB 194s repeal, the
ban on voting three or fewer days before Election Day, including the weekend before, remained
in place.

President Obamas re-election team filed a lawsuit against Husted arguing that all Ohio voters
should be able to cast ballots on the three days before the election. In October 2012, a federal
appeals court ruled against Husted, allowing voting the three days prior to Election Day and
giving county election boards discretion to set hours on those days. Husted appealed the ruling
to the Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case. With only three weeks to go before the
2012 election, Husted finally complied with the federal courts order and issued a directive to
all counties, setting uniform voting hours for the three days before Election Day.30

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Husted faced criticism not only for his attempt to limit early voting in Ohio, but for the
precarious position in which he put voters and election administrators so close to Election Day.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer published a scathing editorial of Husted after he announced his
appeal to the Supreme Court: With less than four weeks to go until Election Day, the rules for
voting in Ohio are still up in the air. Secretary of State Jon Husted wrongly heightened the
uncertainty on Tuesday, when he decided to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a pair of
federal court rulings reversing Ohios ban on in-person early voting during the Saturday, Sunday
and Monday before Election Day. . . . This controversy has dragged on too long already and has
become too infested with partisanship. Clearly, Republicans want to limit last-minute early
voting, which in 2008 was most heavily used by less-affluent, minority voters.31

Purges of Ohio Voter Rolls

Ohio engages in regular purging of its voter rolls. The secretary of states office sends notices to
registered voters who have not voted in elections for two years, or who have changed their
address through the U.S. Postal System. If the voter does not respond to the notice or update
their voter registration information and does not vote or sign a petition within four years, the
secretary of states office can cancel the voters registration.32

In Ohios three largest counties, at least 144,000 inactive voters have been purged from the
voter rolls. Husted has implied that voters who havent voted over a six-year period or
responded to address requests from his office deserve to be purged from the voter rolls: If this
is really [sic] important thing to you in your life, voting, you probably would have done so within
a six-year period.33

A Reuters analysis found that Ohios policy on removing voter registrations seemed to help
Republicans in the states largest metropolitan areas, while neighborhoods with high
proportions of poor, African American residents are hit the hardest by the voter purging.34

Influence of Voter Suppression Groups on Husteds Voter Roll Purges

Voter suppression groups, both national and Ohio-based, have influenced Husteds policies on
purging voter rolls. True the Vote is a national organization, founded by Tea Party activist
Catherine Engelbrecht, which advocates for voter suppression policies and engages in fearmongering tactics about nonexistent election fraud. The organization has been extremely
successful in promoting voter suppression policies around the country and its work has
bolstered legislative efforts in at least 37 states to require voter ID at the polls.35

Husted entered into a settlement after being sued by True the Vote and Judicial Watch, another
conservative organization that advocates for voter suppression policies.36 He agreed that Ohio
would sign onto Kansas Secretary of State and voter suppression advocate Kris Kobachs
controversial Interstate Crosscheck program, a list of almost seven million potential doublevoters from a number of states that has been criticized for being highly inaccurate. True the

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Vote later announced that it was targeting Ohio for a project that aimed to purge as many
potential double-voters as possible from Ohios voter rolls.

Crosscheck consolidates and cross-references voter information from participating states. Its
goal is to identify voters who may be voting illegally in multiple jurisdictions, but the program
has been criticized for its inaccuracy. Crosscheck has erroneously flagged millions of potential
double-voters, often based solely on first and last name correspondence, ignoring middle
names, suffixes, and birthdates. In cases where voter information includes the last four digits of
their Social Security numbers, those numbers are purposely ignored, increasing the likelihood
of erroneously matched voter profiles.37 Critics of the program have also noted that Crosscheck
flags minority voters at disproportionate rates.38

Legal Challenge to Husteds Voter Roll Purges

Husted was named as a defendant in a lawsuit targeting Ohios voter purging methods. The
Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and the Ohio chapters of the A. Philip Randolph
Institute filed a federal case against Husted in 2016, challenging the purging of tens of
thousands of voters from the voter rolls for failing to vote or failing to confirm their home
addresses. The U.S. Department of Justice filed an amicus brief on behalf of the organizations
challenging Husteds actions, arguing that purging the voter rolls based on voter inactivity
violates both the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.39

In September 2016, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Ohios reliance on lack of
voting activity as a trigger for purging people from the voting rolls violates federal law. The
ruling, which reiterated that no voter should be disqualified simply for not voting often
enough, struck down Ohios process for purging voters from the voter rolls.40

Legal Challenge to Technical Ballot Procedures

Secretary of State Husted was named as a defendant in a lawsuit challenging technical
requirements for Ohio absentee and provisional ballots. The lawsuit charges that absentee and
provisional ballots cast by qualified registered voters were being discarded because of small,
technical errors, and the uneven application of the rules between counties has led to homeless
and minority voters being disenfranchised at disproportionate rates.

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Columbus Coalition for the Homeless, and the
Democratic Party have challenged technical requirements for absentee and provisional ballots,
arguing that rules have been applied differently between counties and lead to homeless, black,
and Latino voters being disqualified at disproportionate rates. The requirements challenged in
the lawsuitnamely, requiring county election boards to reject absentee and provisional
ballots for errors made on identification statementswere passed by Republican legislators
and signed into law by Governor John Kasich in 2014.

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The plaintiffs argue that the requirements essentially created a literacy test, prohibited by the
Voting Rights Act, because voters must read, write, and understand voting forms without
making a single mistake. In one case, a Franklin County man accidentally wrote his birth month
as October when casting his ballot in October; by the time he received notice that his ballot was
rejected, it was too late for him to cast a valid ballot. In a hypothetical example given by the
plaintiffs, a voter registered as William Thomas Smith could have his absentee ballot rejected
for writing Wm. T. Smith or Bill Smith on his ballot envelope.41

A federal judge ruled against Husted in June 2016, ruling that the requirements violated federal
law and prohibiting the state of Ohio from enforcing them. In September, however, a panel on
the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld part of that ruling, while reversing other parts of the
decision. The panel ruled that with regard to birth dates and addresses on absentee ballots,
the law created an unconstitutional burden on voters, but did not address other issues that
the lower court addressed, such as if a Social Security number was incorrect or a variation of a
name was used or if cursive writing was used but legible. Husted said that, upon initial
review, his office believed it was a reasonable outcome. There is still opportunity for either
side to appeal.42

Failed Attempt to Bar Young People from Voting

Secretary of State Husted attempted to bar 17-year-olds who would turn 18 prior to the general
election from voting in the 2016 presidential primary by using his interpretation of existing law
that he claimed excluded the teenagers from electing delegates which could vote for a
candidate at a national party convention, although seventeen-year-olds can cast a vote on
some candidates, even in congressional races, because that is not a direct vote for a candidate
or delegate. He defended his position by arguing that only people 18 or older can vote to elect
delegates, and that none of us, for example, vote for an actual presidential candidate. . . We
vote to elect a delegate that then goes off to the convention and votes on our behalf to elect a
particular candidate.43

A Franklin County judge disagreed with Husted, ruling that 17-year-olds who will turn 18 before
the general election are entitled to vote in presidential primaries. Husted said he would not
appeal the judges ruling.44

Voter Suppression Advocates in the Ohio State Legislature

Over the past few years, Republicans in the Ohio state legislature have repeatedly introduced
bills that would disenfranchise minority voters. Some bills died in the legislature, while others
have been signed into law by the governor and enforced by the secretary of state.

State legislators advocating for voter suppression policies have not stopped introducing bills
that would make it more difficult for low-income and minority voters to cast their ballots. Voter
suppression advocates in the state legislature also have revealed partisan motivations for
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changing voting and elections laws, making it clear that legislators pushing voter suppression
bills aim to unfairly influence Ohio elections by disenfranchising voters they fear might not vote
Republican.

State Representative Andrew Brenner

State Representative Andrew Brenner is an extremely conservative lawmaker who believes that
public education in America is socialism, despite serving as vice-chair of the Ohio House
Education Committee.45 Brenner is also an outspoken advocate of requiring voters to show
photo IDs at the polls and has voiced concerns about voter suppression in rural areas, noting
there were differences in demographics in rural areas compared to urban areas, where
minority voters who tend to vote Democratic are more likely to live.

Brenner has repeatedly advocated for tougher voter ID laws that would require voters to show
photo identification at the polls. He introduced a photo ID bill in 2015 with the support of the
Ohio Christian Alliance, a right-wing group that even organized a press conference for Brenner
to announce the bill, HB 189.46 Brenner co-sponsored a similar bill in 2013, HB 269, and signed a
discharge petition the next year in an attempt to force a vote on it even though the bill hadnt
had a single hearing since it was introduced.47 Neither of the bills made progress in the
legislature.

Brenner has voiced concerns about voter suppression of rural voters and has noted the
difference in demographics between voters in rural areas as compared to urban areas, where
minority voters who tend to vote Democratic are more likely to live. He supported legislation,
signed by Governor Kasich in 2014, which prohibited counties from mailing unsolicited
absentee ballot applications and argued that allowing counties to fund and send out unsolicited
absentee ballot applications would amount to voter suppression because most rural
counties cant afford to send out absentee ballots. Brenner also noted the differences in
demographics between voters in rural areas as compared to urban areas, where, he
suggested, absentee ballot applications would be more likely to be sent out.48

State Representative John Becker

State Representative John Becker is a voter suppression advocate who has made many
controversial comments on a range of subjects. He co-sponsored HB 269, the 2013 voter ID bill
that would require voters to show a photo ID in order to cast their ballots, and signed a
discharge petition trying to force a vote on the bill in the legislature.49

Becker is an extremely conservative politician who has made offensive, highly partisan, and at
times racially charged, comments. He once claimed that If Jesus Christ were walking the earth
as a man today, the liberals would likely label Him as a radical right-wing hate mongering wacko
Bible-thumping fundamentalist anti-women homophobic bigot and perhaps even a Nazi [sic].50

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He has supported police officers accused of killing unarmed black men and suggested requiring
schools to "teach respect for authority." After Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black
man, was shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, MO, Becker wrote, At this point, I'm not
sure which one was the victim. He had previously voiced his thoughts about blacks being killed
by white police officers, writing, Had either mans race been reversed, the entire incident
would have never gotten news coverage outside of the immediate area. Just who are the
racists? He also wrote that he was considering introducing legislation that would require
schools to teach respect for authority, suggesting test questions, such as, Lets say youre
walking down the middle of the street high on dope after committing a strong-arm robbery.
When stopped by a police officer, the best way to start the conversation is: a. Shout FU_ _ you,
pig and punch the cop in the face. b. Grab for his gun and then charge at him. c. Carefully
follow all instructions and submit to the pending arrest. Becker said he was interested in the
issue because he was seeing cops get blamed for some things that appear to not be their
fault.51

State Senator Bill Seitz

State Senator Bill Seitz is an advocate of voter suppression policies, who has voted to cut early
voting and tried to pass a bill that was characterized as a poll tax by its opponents. He has
claimed that any criticism of voter suppression in such bills amount to tinfoil-hat conspiracy
theories from Democrats.

Seitz introduced a bill in 2016 that would require a cash bond, possibly worth thousands of
dollars, before a judge could order that polls stay open past scheduled closing time for any
reason. Democrats likened the bill to a poll tax that would be a deterrent to low-income voters
fighting for their rights to vote. The bill would waive the cash bond for voters who are declared
indigent by the court, but, even if they won their case, the polls would only stay open for that
specific voter, meaning a cash bond would need to be posted by someone for the polls to stay
open for all voters. He brushed off criticism that the law would favor wealthy voters, saying So
what? . . . If anyone else wants to file an affidavit of indigency, let them come in, too.52

Governor Kasich vetoed the bill, writing that The bills provision that eliminates the judicial
discretion to waive the bond is a step too far. Seitz criticized Kasich for vetoing his bill, stating,
In vetoing Senate Bill 296, the governor has subordinated the interests of Ohio taxpayers and
poll workers to the interests of those who want to game Election Day voting hours for political
purposes.53

He has spoken at a forum hosted by True the Vote, a national voter suppression organization
that has worked to purge Ohio voter rolls with the help of local Tea Party leaders.54 He is also a
board member of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a corporate-funded organization
that has pushed for strict photo ID laws in at least thirty-seven states.55

While on the Cincinnati school board in the 1990s, Seitz came under fire for his racially charged
comments after penning a controversial letter that described the behavior of African American
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graduates and families at a high school graduation as disruptive, and linked it to
disproportionate rates of disciplinary action against African Americans in the school district.56

Seitz has said that charges of voter suppression in Ohio amounted to posturing by Democrats
and tinfoil-hat voter-suppression claims.57 He apparently sees no irony in labeling concerns
about voter suppression as tinfoil-hat conspiracy theories even though he has repeatedly
compared Ohios alternative energy requirements to Joseph Stalins five-year plan to
modernize Russias industry, and has referred to opponents of his energy proposals as
members of the envirosocialist movement.58

State Representative Mike Dovilla

State Representative Mike Dovilla is an outspoken advocate for voter suppression policies who
has supported limiting early voting and making it easier to purge Ohios voter rolls.

He supported the legislation that cut back on early voting and he praised the elimination of
Golden Week, during which Ohio voters were able to register to vote and early vote in the same
period, stating that, voting takes place in a two-stage process. One, you register. Two, you
vote. Those dont take place together.59

Dovilla also voiced his support for SB 200, a bill that was signed into law by Governor Kasich in
2013. It required state agencies to provide voter-related information to help keep the secretary
of states voter rolls up-to-date, and also lowered the minimum number of voting machines
required for each county. Critics of the legislation argued that the bill would make it easier for
the secretary of states office to purge the Ohio voter rolls. Dovilla stated that the bill will
allow our election officials to more efficiently manage our electoral process, and at the same
time, assist voters in keeping their voter registrations accurate.60

He faced criticisms for using Ohio tax dollars to hold a series of field hearings on politicized
federal issues that were beyond the scope of the Ohio state legislature. Dovilla, as chair of the
Ohio House Policy and Oversight Committee, held a hearing in Cincinnati in response to
allegations that the IRS targeted right-leaning organizations and invited Tea Party groups to
testify. Dovilla also said he was considering subpoenaing IRS employees in response to the Tea
Party allegations.61

Ohios Local Election Board Members

On The Front Lines of Voter Suppression
(and Racially Charged Commentary)

Every county in Ohio has a four-member board of elections that consists of two members
nominated from each major political party, who are then appointed by the secretary of state.

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County boards of elections are responsible for, among other election administration duties,
voter registration, establishing precincts, managing petitions, and counting votes. County
boards of elections used to set their own early voting hours; since 2012, however, Secretary of
State Jon Husted has set uniform, statewide early voting schedules for all of Ohios counties.62

When members of county boards of elections are unable to reach an agreement on election
issues, the secretary of state may be called on to cast the tie-breaking vote. This is particularly
significant for politically divisive voting issues that are likely to pit the two Democratic board
members against the two Republican board members in any county.

Because board members are nominated by county political parties, there is a great deal of overt
partisanship on county boards of elections. Republican members of county election boards
have voted for measures that make voting harder for low-income and minority voters in their
counties, and have clear political motivations for keeping certain voters away from the polls.

While this report examines boards of elections in the four most populous counties in Ohio--
Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton and Summit--voter suppression advocates administer elections in
counties throughout Ohio. In Montgomery County, for example, county board of elections
member Kay Wick is an outspoken conservative who has voted to cut early voting, including
weekend voting.63 Similarly, in Trumbull County, board of elections member Ron Knight has
repeatedly proposed drastically cutting the number of precincts in the county.64

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections

The two Republican members of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, Rob Frost and Jeff
Hastings, are both highly partisan political figures who voted for changes in election policy that
made it more difficult for Cuyahoga County voters to cast their ballots.

Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Member Rob Frost

Rob Frost is a strongly partisan voice on the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. In addition to
serving on the board, he is a Republican lobbyist and chairman of the Cuyahoga County
Republican Party.65

He voted against extending early voting hours in 2008, although former Secretary of State
Jennifer Brunner cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of longer hours, saying that a county with a
large number of registered voters and a complex economy such as Cuyahoga County needs to
accommodate the work schedules of as many voters as possible.66 Frost also has voted against
printing bilingual ballots for the entire county, which would make it easier for Spanish speakers
to vote.67

Frost has argued that cutting early voting is not a form of voter suppression. During a protest in
Cleveland over cuts to early voting in 2012, Frost claimed that the protest was a Democratic

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ploy to gin up the turnout. Frost called criticism of the early voting cuts a complete non-issue
and an absolute ruse by certain elected officials.68

He has been a vocal supporter of voter identification, including strict photo ID laws that have
failed to become law in Ohio.69 While Frost was Chairman of the Republican Party of Cuyahoga
County, the party released a platform that advocated for a photo ID requirement for voting,
which read, in part, Voter photo identification is the central element in nearly every
democracy in the developed world.70

Frost defended controversial billboards threatening penalties for voter fraud that were
displayed in minority communities before the 2012 presidential election. The billboards, which
read Voter fraud is a felony and listed potential criminal penalties for voter fraud, were
criticized by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, which found that the billboards seemed to
target neighborhoods with high minority populations. The group argued that the billboards
stigmatize the African-American community by implying that voter fraud is a more significant
problem in African-American neighborhoods than elsewhere and attach an implicit threat of
criminal prosecution to the civic act of voting. Frost brushed off concerns about the billboards:
It appears to not be a discriminatory effort but a region-wide effort that someone wants to get
the word out about voter fraud. Frost added, Raising awareness about voter fraud and
keeping this election fair helps us all have confidence in the results.71

Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Member Jeff Hastings

Jeff Hastings voted against a number of measures while on the Board of Elections that would
make voting easier for voters in Cuyahoga County. He twice, in 2008 and 2012, voted against
expanding early voting.72 Hastings also voted against printing bilingual ballots for the entire
county, which would make it easier for Spanish speakers to vote, and also voted against
attempting to continue Cuyahoga Countys successful vote-by-mail program after Secretary of
State Husted issued a directive prohibiting county election boards from sending unsolicited
absentee ballot applications.73

In addition to serving on the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, Hastings is also a member of
the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County Executive Committee.74

The Franklin County Board of Elections

The two Republican members of the Franklin County Board of Elections, Doug Preisse and Brad
Sinnott, are vocal conservatives who have opposed expanding early voting in the county.75 Both
also serve as the top-ranking officials of the Franklin County Republican Party, with Preisse
serving as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Sinnott serving as Chairman of the Central
Committee.76



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Franklin County Board of Elections Member Doug Preisse

Doug Preisse is actively involved in local partisan politics in Ohio beyond his seat on the Franklin
County Board of Elections. In addition to serving as Chairman of the Franklin County Republican
Party, Preisse is a top advisor to Governor Kasich and has been called the most connected
lobbyist in Ohio.77

He made national headlines in 2012 when he stated, I guess I really actually feel we shouldnt
contort the voting process to accommodate the urbanread African Americanvoter turnout
machine. The statement was widely attacked as racist by Democrats and black leaders in the
state, who criticized Preisses stance on suppressing minority voters as well as the racial tone it
brought to the statewide battle on early voting in Ohio.78

Preisse stood by his comments, saying, I am indeed questioning how far this process of
democratic, small d, democratic voting process should be contorted to favor a political
operation. I dont think we should go overboard in doing that. He added, I also believe that
there is no question that the forces of Obama and the other side of the aisle would love to just
throw the barn doors open and have 24-hour voting and just go too far in the other
direction.79

In 2008, early voting hours could not be expanded because the two Republican members of the
Franklin County Board of Elections, including Preisse, refused to appear for the scheduled
meeting. The board members were meant to vote on extending Sunday voting hours after
voters, the previous weekend, encountered hours-long waits at the polls and lines extending
out of buildings and onto the sidewalks. Preisse claimed that Democrats wanted to take
advantage of a Barack Obama rally that day at the Statehouse, near [one of] the polling
place[s].80

The Hamilton County Board of Elections

The two Republican members of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, Alex Triantafilou and
Charles Chip Gerhardt, are both active in local partisan politics and have supported policies
that made it more difficult for Cuyahoga County voters to cast their ballots.

Triantafilou and Gerhardt have opposed their two Democratic colleagues on the Board of
Elections on numerous voting questions. For example, both members voted against sending
absentee ballot applications to every voter in the county before a law went into effect that
prohibited counties from sending such applications.81

Hamilton County Board of Elections Member Alex M. Triantafilou

Alex Triantafilou, a Republican member of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, is a vocal
supporter of voter suppression policies who also serves as Chairman of the Hamilton County
Republican Party.82
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Triantafilou praised the efforts to purge Hamilton Countys voter rolls by the Ohio Voter
Integrity Project, an offshoot of the national voter suppression group True the Vote, led by
members of various Tea Party groups in Ohio. The group targeted voter registrations in
Hamilton County prior to the 2012 presidential election, and Caleb Faux, a Democratic member
of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, questioned the alleged nonpartisanship of the Ohio
Voter Integrity Project, saying, I dont buy it. The True the Vote people are clearly going after
Democratic voters: African-Americans, students, and other groups they think are likely to vote
Democratic.83

Triantafilou, however, said the Ohio Voter Integrity Project was performing an important
public service, claiming that the county election boards wouldnt know to take those folks off
the rolls if it werent for this project.84 The Ohio Voter Integrity Project challenged 380 voter
registrations in Hamilton County in September 2012 with only one minor success: the county
Board of Elections voted to challenge the registrations of thirty-five people if they attempted to
vote where they were currently registered.85

He is an outspoken believer in widespread voter fraud, despite the lack of evidence that it
exists. Triantafilou appeared on the Fox News Channel claiming that voter fraud was a real
problem.86 After forty-eight cases of potential voter fraud cases were identified in Hamilton
Countys 2012 general election (or, 0.011 percent of the 421,997 votes cast) and six people
were charged, Triantafilou said that the attention to voter fraud was overdue. Triantafilou
stated, These allegations are serious. The board did the work it needed to do and should
continue to root out fraud.87

Triantafilou spoke in favor of a photo ID bill proposed in 2011 that, had it passed, would have
been the strictest voter ID law in the country at the time. He claimed that the law just protects
every citizens right to vote by assuring their identity and said, I dont think it makes it harder
to vote.88

He is a highly partisan Republican who said, in December 2015, that he would support Donald
Trump as the Republican presidential nominee because its the right thing to do as a
Republican. Triantafilou said, Anybody is better than Hillary Clinton He added, If Donald
Trump is our nominee, I will fall in line and support him. Its the right thing to do.89

Triantafilou supported the statewide cuts to early voting made in 2012, which limited early
voting, and claimed criticism that the cuts would disenfranchise minority voters was an attempt
by Democrats to demonize Republicans as trying to suppress the vote when the opposite is
true. He claimed that no voters were being disenfranchised as a result of the limited early
voting hours.90




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Hamilton County Board of Elections Member Charles H. Gerhardt, III

Charles H. Chip Gerhardt, III, the other Republican member of the Hamilton County Board of
Elections, is also active in Ohio partisan politics.

He is a Republican lobbyist and former Vice Chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party.
According to his biography from Government Strategies Group, LLCthe Cincinnati-based
lobbying firm of which he is founder and presidentGerhardt was recently involved in several
statewide campaigns including John Kasich for Governor, Josh Mandel for Treasurer and Mike
DeWine for Attorney General and supported fundraising efforts for the McCain-Palin and
Bush-Cheney campaigns in Ohio, and for Speaker John Boehner.91

The Summit County Board of Elections

The two Republican members of the Summit County Board of Elections, Alex R. Arshinkoff and
Bryan Williams, are both Republican lobbyists tasked with nonpartisan election administration
duties. Arshinkoff, in particular, has a long and controversial career in Republican politics that
may shed light on his partisan efforts to influence Summit County elections.

Summit County Board of Elections Member Alex R. Arshinkoff

Alex R. Arshinkoff is perhaps the most controversial Ohio political figure currently serving on a
county board of elections. Arshinkoff, known as the Republican Godfather of Summit County,
has served on the Summit County Board of Elections for over 30 years. He has faced harsh
criticismfrom Democrats and Republicans alikeover the course of his long political career.

In addition to serving on the Summit County Board of Elections, Arshinkoff, a longtime
Republican fundraiser and lobbyist, is also the chairman of the Summit County Republican
Party, which he has led since 1978. He is also a leading Ohio fundraiser for Republican
candidates across the nation--he raised $2.8 million to elect President George W. Bush in
2000.92

Arshinkoff is a big-budget lobbyist who has repeatedly faced criticism for alleged conflicts of
interest. He especially has been criticized for fundraising for Republican candidates and
lobbying them after he helped get them elected. In 2011, for example, Arshinkoff was awarded
a $120,000 subcontract to lobby for the state-funded University of Akron after his county party
raised $400,000 for state GOP candidates, including $150,000 for Governor Kasich.93 Arshinkoff
claimed he expected no special treatment from Kasich or Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, a
Summit County Republican whose political career was shaped by Arshinkoffs support.94

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He lost his seat on the Summit County Election Board in 2008, the same year he came close to
losing his party chairmanship, which was challenged by a group of Republicans who accused
Arshinkoff of abusing his power for personal gain.95

Former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner refused to approve Arshinkoffs nomination in 2008,
after the Summit County Republican Party nominated its chairman for reappointment to the
board of elections. Brunner said, It would be inappropriate to have him serve longer. The
secretary of state said there was evidence that Arshinkoff created an overly partisan
atmosphere at the Summit County Board of Elections, and wrote, Credible claims indicate that
[Arshinkoff] berated staff and created a hostile work environment in which board employees
have endured coercion if not outright threats. Brunner also noted that she received affidavits
from three judges who said they had been threatened by Arshinkoff.96 The previous year, audio
of a voicemail had surfaced in which Arshinkoff threatened a public official after his wife
received a zoning violation for displaying a large political sign.97

Arshinkoff was reappointed to the Summit County Board of Elections three years later, when
his nomination was approved by Secretary of State Jon Husted.98

Since reclaiming his seat on the Summit County Board of Elections, Arshinkoff has voted to cut
early voting, voted in favor of buying photocopiers to capture images of voters IDs at county
polling places, and proposed sweeping budget cuts ahead of the 2012 presidential elections,
which would have significantly reduced the number of precincts and polling locations in the
county and eliminated poll worker positions.99

Voter Suppression Groups in Ohio

Voter suppression groups, both national and Ohio-based, are active in advocating for
disenfranchising policies, spreading misinformation on alleged voter fraud, and lobbying and
influencing Ohio elected officials. While they claim to be nonpartisan, these groups all have
links to far-right organizations and partisan leaders.

True the Vote and Ohio Voter Integrity Project

True the Vote and its state branch, the Ohio Voter Integrity Project, have been the most highprofile groups in Ohio working to disenfranchise voters.

True the Vote is a Houston-based national organization that advocates for voter suppression
policies and engages in fear-mongering tactics about virtually nonexistent election fraud.
Founded by Tea Party activist Catherine Engelbrecht, the organization has been extremely
successful in promoting voter suppression policies around the country and its work has
bolstered legislative efforts in at least thirty-seven states to require voter ID at the polls.100 The
organization has been criticized for intimidating minority voters at polling places--where their
trained poll watchers aim to leave no polling place unmanned to guard against election fraud-

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-and has advocated for a range of voter suppression policies, including large-scale voter
purges.101

Challenges of Ohio Voter Rolls

True the Vote announced in 2015 that it was targeting Ohio for a project that aimed to purge as
many potential double-voters as possible from Ohios voter rolls.102 In early 2016, the
organization announced that by assisting election officials in Cuyahoga and Franklin Counties, it
had successfully removed more than a thousand duplicate registrations from the voter rolls
ahead of the 2016 presidential primary. True the Vote founder Catherine Engelbrecht stated
that, Because of Ohios consistent role as a decisive swing state in Americas elections, it has a
duty to ensure that its voter records are in the best shape possible.103

Along with the right-wing group, Judicial Watch, True the Vote sued Secretary of State Husted
in 2012, arguing that the number of registered voters in several counties exceeded the
population, and about two dozen other counties were close to 100 percent voter registration.
The organization argued that these high percentages suggested a violation of the National
Voter Registration Act, which requires election officials to make a reasonable effort to maintain
voter lists free from ineligible voters.104 Husted entered in a legal settlement with the groups in
2014 and agreed that the state of Ohio would participate in Kansas Secretary of State and voter
suppression advocate Kris Kobachs Interstate Crosscheck program.105

True the Vote has organized in Ohio through its state branch, the Ohio Voter Integrity Project,
which is also affiliated with several Tea Party groups.106 Before the 2012 elections, True the
Vote and the Ohio Voter Integrity Project held workshops throughout Ohio to teach volunteers
how to challenge voter registrations.107

One Hamilton County resident whose voter registration was challenged by the Voter Integrity
Project in 2012 described the groups actions as harassment. Teresa Sharp, a former poll worker
who labeled herself as a regular voter, thought that the groups challenge of heras well as her
familysvoter registrations was because either they dont want Obama in there or the fact
that Im black.108

The Ohio Voter Integrity Project also focused on removing college students from the voter rolls
for not specifying their dorm room numbers. Notably college students leaned heavily towards
Obama in the 2012 presidential elections.109

Before the 2012 elections, the Ohio Voter Integrity Project challenged voters in fourteen
counties, nine of which were won by Obama in 2008. In several counties, all or nearly all of
their challenges were dismissed.110

The Ohio Voter Integrity Project advocated totally eliminating early voting, tweeting that, if
Election Day was a national holiday we could get younger and better educated people to work
the polls and we wouldnt need #EarlyVoting. In an effort to pressure Ohio to join Kris
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Kobachs Interstate Crosscheck program, the group promoted the controversial program on
social media while True the Vote was suing Secretary of State Jon Husted in 2012.111

Controversial Poll Watcher Program

In addition to promoting voter roll purging, True the Vote and the Ohio Voter Integrity Project
also organize poll watchers to monitor polling places around Ohio for potential voter fraud.
True the Vote has been criticized for the aggressive tactics of its trained poll watchers, including
for sending white poll watchers to majority African American neighborhoods. Voting rights
groups have noted that white poll watchers in minority neighborhoods can have a
disenfranchising effect on voters even if there is no direct interaction.112

In Ohio, True the Vote held training sessions for poll watchers organized by the Ohio Voter
Integrity Project before the 2012 elections, which were criticized as problematic. In Hamilton
County, the Voter Integrity Project said their poll watcher training would show you what your
secretary of state might not show you.113 During their training in Columbus, True the Votes
national elections director, Bill Ouren, said the goal of having poll watchers was to make poll
workers and voters feel like when youre . . . driving and seeing the police following you.114

Peg Rosenfield of the Ohio League of Women Voters said the tone of the training left her
disturbed and frankly a little frightened. Rosenfield added, The goal--voter integrity,
accurate registration records and fair elections--is one we all share. Were all on the same page.
But I really question this approach. They claim to be nonpartisan, but what Ive been hearing is
not nonpartisan.115 In response to the training led by the Ohio Voter Integrity Project, the
League of Women Voters of Ohio sent a letter to Secretary of State Husted asking him to
instruct elections boards to inform poll workers that conduct must be based solely on statesanctioned training, voicing their concerns about information that third parties are providing
outside training to poll workers that differs from the official training.116

The poll monitoring project organized by True the Vote and the Ohio Voter Integrity Project was
so controversial that it was rejected in Franklin County after most of the candidates withdrew
their backing of True the Vote with the elections board. Under Ohio law, groups of at least five
candidates may assign poll observers, but the Franklin County Election Board stated that the
True the Vote poll observers appointments were not properly filed, and our voting-location
managers were instructed not to honor any appointment on behalf of the True the Vote
group. True the Votes president called Franklin Countys rejection of their poll watchers
dangerous and offensive, and a final, desperate attempt to deny citizens their right to
observe elections.117

True the Vote and Ohio Voter Integrity Project: Hardly Nonpartisan

True the Vote claims that the group is focused only on ensuring fair elections and is not
partisan. The groups founder, Catherine Engelbrecht, said, This has never been and never will
be about politics. She added, This is not a partisan effort.118
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However, the partisan motivations behind the right-wing group are clear. The Ohio Voter
Integrity Project, which is led by members of various Tea Party groups around Ohio, has been
criticized for the partisan tone of its poll observer training sessions. It has also been criticized
for tailoring its voter roll purging efforts in a partisan way. Caleb Faux, a Democratic member of
the Hamilton County Board of Elections, said of the groups alleged nonpartisanship, I dont
buy it. The True the Vote people are clearly going after Democratic voters: African-Americans,
students, and other groups they think are likely to vote Democratic.119

True the Vote has been criticized on a national level for focusing its poll watchers and voter
registration challenges on minority communities that traditionally vote Democratic. Even
Engelbrecht acknowledges the partisan motivations behind her groups effort to fight alleged
election fraud: You dont need a whole lot of election fraud; you just need a little bit in the
right places to swing an election.120

Ohio Christian Alliance

The Ohio Christian Alliance, a Tea Party-linked nonprofit organization that claims to educate
Christian voters about issues, legislation, and candidates, has a long history of pushing for voter
suppression policies in the state. The group is vocal about its concern over voter fraud. After
the 2012 presidential election, for example, the Ohio Christian Alliance released a citizens
audit that alleged numerous instances of voter fraud.121

Chris Long, the president of the group, claims that there is a growing trend of voter fraud in
the battleground state of Ohio, in reference to an analysis from the secretary of states office
that found cases of possible voter fraud made up 0.0048 percent of votes cast in the 2012
election.122 The organization, which claims to lobby for pro-life, pro-family legislation, has
lobbied Ohio state legislators on voter suppression measures.123

The group has repeatedly advocated for photo ID requirements at the polls, despite the
disproportionate impact the policy would have on low-income and minority voters. The Ohio
Christian Alliance hosted a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse with State Rep. Andy
Brenner when he introduced a strict photo ID law in 2015.124 The previous year, the group
supported the discharge petition circulated by a group of Republicans state legislators in an
attempt to force a vote on a photo ID bill. Long said that, if the discharge petition failed (which
it did), the Ohio Christian Alliance would attempt to amend the Ohio Constitution to require a
photo ID at the polls through a ballot initiative.125

The Ohio Christian Alliance also opposed a bill that would allow online voter registration in
2016, despite the legislations bipartisan support. Long testified against the bill before the Ohio
Houses Government Accountability and Oversight Committee, claiming that his organization
was not totally opposed to the idea of eventual online voter registration but that going into
the presidential election in 2016, this is not a good time to implement this bill. Long cited

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security concerns as the rationale behind opposing online voter registration, saying that Ohios
status as a battleground state would make it a target for hackers to commit voter fraud.126

Formed in 2006, the Ohio Christian Alliance broke off from the national Christian Coalition of
America.127 When the registered nonprofit claimed it had lost at least $50,000 in donations
because the IRS delayed its tax status.128 The group has briefly lost its business registration
status with the State of Ohio for failure to file reinstatement paperwork.129

Long has advocated for voter suppression policies on social media. In fact, when a federal court
ruled that the elimination of Golden Week violated voting rights, he called the ruling
ridiculous and suggested the decision would lead to voter fraud. The legislature and Ohioans
never intended for people to register and vote on the same day, Long wrote. Everyone can see
the fraud possiblities [sic] in that. Everyone, of course, except this judge.130

He praised Secretary of State Husted for doing a great job of cleaning up the voter rolls of the
deceased statewide. This has been a collaboration with other states, i.e., Florida, where
Ohioans have gone to retire and passed away, but remained on voter rolls. Obviously, it was a
loophole through which those who wanted to commit fraud could do so. The system he put in
place is sound and efficient.131

Long regularly posts far-right and controversial posts on social media. He shared an article from
InfoWars, the website run by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, with the headline Vast
Majority of Illegals Released into Country Disease or No Disease.132 He appears to believe
President Obama is a Muslim, once sharing an article headlined, Bill OReilly Reveals Unseen
Images of Young Obama at Islamic Wedding, and commented, Our Muslim president.133

Long also believes that Trump is right about illegal immigration from the south and what a
huge problem it is, and that Trump is right about the problem of the open border.134

Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions

The Buckeye Institute For Public Policy Solutions, a Columbus-based, conservative organization,
has actively advocated for voter suppression policies in Ohio.

When the elimination of the Golden Week of voting was being challenged in court, the Buckeye
Institute filed an amicus brief opposing the plaintiffs lawsuit, which argued that limiting early
voting disproportionately burdened minority voters. The Institute, in its brief, argued that such
a burden did not matter: The law does not require states to maximize minority opportunities
by eliminating the usual burdens of voting to overcome underlying socio-economic disparities
among racial groups. Nor does it invalidate voting practices simply because they do not result in
statistically proportionate outcomes. Section 2 [of the Voting Rights Act] is an equal-treatment
requirement, not an equal-outcome command.135

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Although the Buckeye Institute describes itself as a non-profit, non-partisan research and
education institute, or think tank, it is an openly conservative organization. The former
chairman of the Buckeye Institute, Rick Segal, in 2007 described the Buckeye Institute as
committed to asserting conservative ideals as loudly and aggressively as ever.136

The Institutes top donors include several organizations linked to the Koch brothers, including
Donors Capital Fund, State Policy Network, and the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.137

Conclusion

Officials at all levels of Ohios government have engaged in what amounts to a long-term
assault on voting rights. Voter suppression policiescuts to early and weekend voting,
restrictive voter ID laws, and other policies that make voting less accessibledisproportionately
affect minorities, senior citizens, the disabled, and low-income voters who should be
encouraged to turn out and exercise their constitutional rights to vote.

Despite what some Ohio officials have expressed, voting is a right, not a privilege. These
officials are failing all Ohioans when they are motivated by partisanship and engage in racially
charged rhetoric while serving in roles intended to impartially administer elections and protect
voting rights. Voter suppression policies do not simply make it more difficult for Ohioans to
votethey also strip constitutional rights from largely minority voters, all for the purpose of
partisan, political gain.

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End Notes

1

Joe Milica, Officials Expect Voter ID Requirement to Complicate Fall Election, Associated Press, June 9, 2006.
FAQs: Identification Requirements, Office of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted website, accessed August 16, 2016,
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/voters/FAQ/ID.aspx.
3
Julie Carr Smyth, Senate Considers Voter-ID Provision, Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, December 6, 2005.
4
Jim Provance, Election Law Opponents May Try to Get Voters to Repeal Measure: Some Provisions Take Effect with Ohio's
May 2 Primary, Toledo (OH) Blade, February 2, 2006.
5
Matt Leingang, Ohio Seeks to Appeal Judges Suspension of Voter ID Law, Associated Press, October 27, 2006.
6
Associated Press, Appeals Court Backs Ohio on Voter ID, New York Times, November 1, 2006.
7
Mark Rollenhagen, Absentee Voter ID Rules Are Suspended: Court Settlement Also Expands Documents That Can Be Used for
In-Person Voting Nov. 7, Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, November 2, 2006.
8
House Bill 189, The Ohio Legislature website, accessed August 16, 2016,
https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislation-status?id=GA131-HB-189; and HB 189 Bill Analysis, The Ohio
Legislature website, accessed August 16, 2016, https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/download?key=3987&format=pdf.
9
Aaron Marshall, Ohio House Approves Legislation Requiring State Photo ID to Vote Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, March 24,
2011.
10
Laura Bischoff, Photo ID Bill on Fast Track for OK: House Approved It in March, the Senate Expected to Pass It This Week,
Dayton (OH) Daily News, June 22, 2011.
11
Jim Provance, Voting Change Lacks Support: State Senate to Remove College-Student Provision, Toledo (OH) Blade, May 18,
2013.
12
Editorial Board, Tuition Break: A State Senator Voices Skepticism About a House Ploy, Akron (OH) Beacon Journal, May 7,
2013.
13
Richard Prez-Pea, Ohio Limits on Voting Are Illegal, Judge Says, New York Times, May 25, 2016.
14
Wendy Weiser, Voter Suppression: How Bad?, American Prospect 25, no. 5 (Fall 2014).
15
Jackie Borchardt, Ohio House Passes Bills to Change Absentee Ballot Rules, Eliminate Six Days of Early Voting, Cleveland
(OH) Plain Dealer, February 19, 2014.
16
Robert Higgs, Kasich Signs Voting Bills That End Golden Week and Limit Distribution of Absentee Ballots, Cleveland (OH)
Plain Dealer, February 21, 2014.
17
Robert Wang, Ohioans Will Be Able [sic] Register Online to Vote, Canton (OH) Repository, June 17, 2016.
18
Jim Siegel, House OKs Online Voter Registration -- After Fall Election, Columbus (OH) Dispatch, May 25, 2016.
19
Michael Finnegan, Tea Party Groups Work to Remove Names from Ohio Voter Rolls, Los Angeles Times, September 26,
2012.
20
Dan Horn, Early Voting Focus of Race, Lancaster (OH) Eagle Gazette, October 20, 2014.
21
Spencer Woodman, Exclusive: Ohio GOPs Secret Voting Scheme Deliberations, Salon, May 5, 2014, accessed August 16,
2016, http://www.salon.com/2014/05/05/exclusive_new_emails_reveal_ohio_gops_voting_scheme_deliberations/.
22
Jeremy Pelzer, Husted Sets Statewide Early-Voting Hours for General Election, Sundays Not Included,
Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, February 25, 2014.
23
Andrew Tobias, Black Clergy Protest Elimination of Souls to the Polls' and Evening Early Voting in 2014 Cleveland (OH) Plain
Dealer, March 6, 2014.
24
Jackie Borchardt, Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Cuts to Early Voting Hours in Ohio, Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, May 1,
2014.
25
Robert Higgs, ACLU, Secretary of State Jon Husted Settle Federal Lawsuit Over Access to Early Voting in Ohio, Cleveland
(OH) Plain Dealer, April 17, 2015.
26
Prez-Pea, Ohio Limits on Voting Are Illegal.
27
Robert Barnes, Supreme Court denies bid to expand early voting in Ohio, Washington Post, September 13, 2016, accessed
September 27, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-denies-bid-to-add-early-votingdays-in-ohio/2016/09/13/10edf340-792b-11e6-bd86-b7bbd53d2b5d_story.html.
28
Julie Carr Smyth, Ohio Senate Postpones Vote on Photo ID Bill, Associated Press, June 24, 2011; and Sabrina Eaton, New
State Voting Laws Cause Controversy: Critics Fear Turnout Will Suffer, Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, August 5, 2012.
29
Joe Guillen, Ohio House Votes to Repeal Controversial Election Law, Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, May 8, 2012.
30
Ann Sanner, High Court Wont Block Early Voting in Ohio, Associated Press, October 16, 2012.
31
Editorial Board, In Resisting Final-Weekend Voting, Husted Takes the Wrong Fight Too Far, Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer,
October 10, 2012.
32
Jackie Borchardt, Ban Sought on Purging of Inactive Voters, Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer, December 3, 2015.
2

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33

Andy Sullivan and Grant Smith, Use It or Lose It: Occasional Ohio Voters May Be Shut out in November, Reuters, June 2,
2016.
34
Ibid.
35
Jane Mayer, The Voter-Fraud Myth: The Man Who Has Stoked Fear About Impostors at the Polls, The New Yorker, October
29, 2012.
36
Zachary Roth, Its Official: Ohio Signs on to Tea Party Voter Purge Scheme, MSNBC, January 14, 2014, accessed August 16,
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37
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38
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39
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41
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48
Chrissie Thompson, Legislature Set to Pass More Voting Limitations, Coshocton (OH) Tribune, February 12, 2014.
49
Borchardt, Bainbridge Rep. Matt Lynch and House Republicans.
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Jim Siegel, General Assembly GOP Freshman No Shrinking Violet, Columbus (OH) Dispatch, December 29, 2014.
52
Dan Horn, GOP: Require Cash for Longer Vote Hours, Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer, April 15, 2016.
53
Darrel Rowland, Dems Cheer Kasich Voting-Bill Veto, Columbus (OH) Dispatch, June 17, 2016.
54
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55
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56
John Johnston, Keeping to the Right, Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer, July 11, 2002.
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58
Andrew Perez, Ohio GOP Legislator Accused of Insulting Veterans in Hearing, Huffington Post, February 24, 2014.
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72
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73
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85
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86
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87
Sharon Coolidge, Voter Fraud Investigation Uncovers Few Crimes, Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer, December 24, 2013.
88
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90
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95
Longtime GOP Party Boss Survives Challenge in Ohio County, Associated Press, May 1, 2008.

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97
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98
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99
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105
Roth, Its Official.
106
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107
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108
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116
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117
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