Suit aims to protect Ohio arrestees' voting rights

CINCINNATI (AP) — Several community groups today sued to protect the voting rights of people arrested in the state the weekend before Election Day and detained through the election.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Cincinnati against Ohio Secretary of State John Husted, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Tim Burke, chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Elections.

The Ohio Justice and Policy Center, which is representing the groups filing the lawsuit, said in a statement that the legal action was taken “because those arrested after the deadline for requesting absentee ballots have no way to vote.”

The lawsuit charges that the alleged disenfranchisement violates those voters’ constitutional rights to equal protection and due process and violates the Voting Rights Act by disproportionately impacting black voters.

The groups want a court order preventing the state from enforcing the deadline for absentee ballot requests for pretrial detainees and those convicted of misdemeanors and to provide a means of voting for all those voters equivalent to what is provided for hospitalized Ohioans.

The lawsuit also wants Husted to be required to notify the 88 county boards of the rights of confined voters and to direct the boards on how to enforce those rights.

Husted spokesman Matthew McClellan said his office is reviewing the lawsuit.