COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – A law trimming early voting in Ohio is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced, a federal judge ruled Tuesday in a case involving a series Republican-backed voting changes in the presidential battleground state.
The state’s Democratic Party was among the plaintiffs that sued Ohio’s elections chief over the voting rules.
The challenged policies included the elimination of a week of early voting in which Ohioans could also register to vote – a period known as golden week. Democrats alleged the changes disproportionately burdened black voters. The state argued the changes were minor and that Ohio residents had many opportunities to vote.
U.S. District Judge Michael Watson sided with Democrats on their golden-week claim, ruling that the cut violates the Voting Rights Act and voters’ equal protection rights.
Watson said statistical and anecdotal evidence presented in the case reflects that black voters use same-day voter registration and early voting options at higher rates than whites. While the court can’t predict how African-Americans will turn out in future elections, he said, “It is reasonable to conclude from this evidence that their right to vote will be modestly burdened” by the law.