Brown Statement On Ohio Early Voting Rights Court Decision
Brown Held a May 2012 Field Hearing in Cleveland to Examine Ohio’s H.B. 194 and Other Efforts to Infringe on Voting Rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released the following statement today after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld a lower court decision to restore early voting for Ohioans.
“Today’s federal appeals court decision restoring full, early voting rights is a decisive victory for all Ohioans – and our democracy. For people who labor by the hour, college students who work the third shift, parents who have to drop their children off at school, and many others, early voting ensures that their voices will be heard.
“As a former Ohio Secretary of State, I believe that voting is a right for all Americans, and that our goal should be to expand participation rather than erecting barriers to it. Many Ohioans exercise their right to vote the weekend before the election, particularly on Sunday when they choose to fulfill their spiritual and civic obligations on the same day. Ensuring that every citizen has the chance to vote is essential to strengthening our democracy by giving all citizens a voice.”
Sen. Brown has also raised concerns over highly restrictive photo identification voting laws currently under consideration or already signed into law in several states across the country. In a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Brown asked the agency to use its full powers as enacted in the Voting Rights Act to review these laws and their implementation.
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