Buckeye Institute News Alert

Ohio's voting integrity is being threatened. And to ensure every Ohioan's vote counts, The Buckeye Institute is going to the courts with one of America's top lawyers.

This month, The Buckeye Institute's Legal Center filed two amicus briefs to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to defend Ohio's generous and nation-leading early voting laws. Representing Buckeye is Michael Carvin, a Washington, D.C. "super lawyer" who has argued numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including a challenge to the Affordable Care Act.

Period for Absentee Voting

Buckeye's first filing supports Ohio's absentee voting period. On May 24, a federal judge overturned an Ohio General Assembly law, which set the state's early voting at 29 days. Challengers alleged that federal law requires Ohio to offer even more days of early voting. Secretary of State Jon Husted, who oversees Ohio's elections, noted that Ohio's 29-day period for casting absentee ballots puts the state in the top 10 nationwide for early voting.

Proof for Absentee Voting

The more recent filing by The Buckeye Institute challenges a judge's ruling that would allow voters to cast absentee and provisional ballots without accurately providing their address and some form of non-photo ID, which is among the least restrictive identification requirements in the country. According to the judge, Ohio must repeal that requirement because it makes voting "less convenient" -- a decision The Buckeye Institute calls "stunning."

What Comes Next

The Buckeye Institute is not standing idly by while judges ignore legal precedent and cast aside state law intended to protect all voters. Its two legal filings will be considered next month, as both cases are expected to be argued the first week of August.

"With Ohio being the quintessential swing state, all eyes will be on our voting process this November," Robert Alt, president and CEO of The Buckeye Institute, said. "The Buckeye Institute is making sure all Ohioans, and all Americans, can have full confidence in the integrity of each ballot that is cast in our state."

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Founded in 1989, The Buckeye Institute is an independent research and educational institution--a think tank--whose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states.

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