After a week of threats from Republican Party officials to make mailing absentee ballot applications more difficult in Ohio, Cuyahoga County Executive and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald appeared on MSNBC to discuss his role in making voting easier for Ohioans in 2014 and 2012 – as well as the relevance of new voter suppression laws for the 2016 presidential election.
After weeks of bad press on his very public courtship of anti-union billionaire Sheldon Adelson and Republican voter suppression tactics, Governor Kasich’s campaign released an ad highlighting his working class, Western Pennsylvania roots and his leadership in job “growth.”
Ohio Republican State Auditor Yost Threatens to Hold County Officials Personally Liable for Absentee Ballot Mailings
Republican State Auditor Dave Yost threatened he has the power to hold county officials personally financially responsible if absentee ballots were mailed out to voters. The threat came after Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald called for a federal investigation into Ohio voter suppression tactics. An earlier voter-suppression amendment to the Mid-Biennium Review was repealed by House Republicans.
When Governor Kasich bowed to public pressure and asked House Republicans to remove an MBR amendment that would have blackmailed Ohio counties seeking to expand voter access, the Governor and his office claimed they had no advance knowledge of the voter suppression tactic.
Today, the Ohio Democratic Party in coordination with the DNC announced the hire of Lindsay Langholz who will serve as the Voter Protection Director at the Ohio Democratic Party. In response, Secretary of State candidate and State Senator Nina Turner released the following statement:
