Dispute over Ohio’s voting rules in hands of federal judge

COLUMBUS (AP) — A legal dispute over changes to voting rules in swing state Ohio is now in the hands of a federal judge.

At issue are a series of Republican-backed revisions that Democrats allege disproportionately burden black voters and those who lean Democratic.

The state’s Democratic Party is among the plaintiffs suing the state’s Republican elections chief over the policy changes. Those include the elimination of a week of early voting in which Ohioans could also register to vote, known as the “golden week.”

Both sides filed their closing comments with the court Tuesday. They now await a ruling from U.S. District Judge Michael Watson.

The state’s attorneys say the voting changes were minor and Ohioans have many opportunities to vote. They note that residents will have 23 days over a 29-day period to vote in-person before the 2016 presidential election, along with 13 hours on Election Day. Plus, Ohioans can vote early by mail.

But Democrats’ argue the policy changes have a disproportionate impact on African-Americans, who they say are more likely to have limited access to child care and transportation, and more likely to work in hourly wage jobs with little flexibility to vote.