I thought it was the 6th CIrcuit.
This is a tough case. In any county with voter registration over 100% I can hope we all agree that we NEED observers there.
On the other hand it would be real easy to get out of hand and start trying to disqualify legitimate voters.
The Ohio GOP obviously planned their challenges well. They sent mailings to many addresses with new registrants. They now have a list of addresses which came back with a return to sender or whatever.
If they limit it to the list and keep thigns civil and polite, it will be a good thing to prevent voter fraud.
If they go overboard it could quickly become voter intimidation.
I expect it will end up doing both.
I think one idea is that they will use it to tie up the polling place and make people wait longer, thus turn some away. Also, the idea that a returned mail is grounds for a challege is baseless. The filing on behalf of the voters, by the dems or liberal groups, was well written on this. Sorry I don't have the link to the filing here and I don't know which of the cases it was from. I think the first once.
Also, is this federal or state courts? Is allowing challegers the same as allowing them to decide or allowing them to sit and take notes?
Finally, aren't two party reps already at each precint by state law and officials? Does this mean the parties want to place somebody "better" than the people the local officials or party might have chosen? I.e., they don't trust locals and want some overbearing outside lawyers to challenge or defend?
I'm sorry, but putting down a false or fake address is a very good reason to challenge a vote. In fact, it is a crime. If someone has bad handwriting and it was missent to Perry instead of Kerry Drive, then they will be allowed to vote after clearing it up. However Dick Tracy who loves at 14 Lollipop Lane shouldn't be voting if his card came back. Heck, his ID should definitely be checked if his mail went through.
The Ohio law has, for over a century I believe, allowed each party to have one poll watcher per polling station. This year Democrats wanted none and Republicans wanted more than one. Both were wrong and the ruling was right. One per station will hopefully be enough.
Sadly, I think you are also right that there will be attempts to slow thigns down so much people go home. I expect it to happen in both heavily D neighborhoods and heavily R areas as well.
