Federal court rules Ohio violated election laws with voter roll purges

COLUMBUS

The 6th U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the state violated federal election law with its method for removing people from the voter rolls, remanding the case for further consideration.

The result was met with cheers Friday from voting-rights advocates, who have been critical of Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted and the way the state purged formerly eligible voters.

“Today’s decision is a victory for voters, voting rights and common sense,” State Rep. Kathleen Clyde, D-Kent, said in a statement. “Husted must stop illegally purging eligible and registered voters. Now, Ohioans who are registered and show up to vote can be confident that their ballots will be counted instead of thrown out.”

Husted, in a separate statement, said the decision could be appealed.

“It is one thing to strike down a long-standing procedure; it is another to craft a workable remedy,” he said. “To that end, if the final resolution requires us to reinstate voting eligibility to individuals who have died or moved out of Ohio, we will appeal.”

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