An Abominable Mitt Romney, Mother of all lies, Lie!

Am I reading this correctly? OPPOSE OBAMA'S LAWSUIT AGAINST MILITARY VOTING RIGHTS! This has got to be one of the most abominable lies to EVER come from the right-wing HATEFULS! (I've refrained from calling them people because they are not people any longer, they have disqualified themselves from the human race) This is so ignorantly mendacious even for despicable Teapublicans. Here's the truth but of course many followers of the Teapublican Bigots don't want to hear the truth they prefer to be in the dark, and wallow in HATE, DECEIT, SCORN and VENOM. But for anyone with some common-sense left (you know that word or words that mean – SOUND PRACTICAL JUDGMENT!) who may question whether or not the Teapublicans tell the truth, HERE IS A BIT OF REALITY TO CHEW ON! thinkingblue

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The fact and fiction behind the Obama campaign’s Ohio voting Lawsuit

The most recent controversy between the Obama and Romney campaigns concerns the key swing state of Ohio. The Obama campaign filed a lawsuit that seeks to force the state to open up their early voting period to all Ohioans, while the Romney campaign claims that the Obama team is trying to deprive military service members of their early voting rights. Below are the facts and fiction behind the story.

What is early voting?

Early voting is a process adopted by many states that allows voters to cast their ballots in the days or weeks before Election Day. The process is designed to make it easier to vote, since many people work shifts that prevent them from voting on a Tuesday. Some states have very open early voting procedures that allow any voter to vote early for any reason. Other states have adopted more restrictive procedures that only allow certain people to vote early for certain reasons (i.e. being out of the country on Election Day). Democrats generally favor early voting since a larger turnout benefits their candidates. In Florida, for example, Democrats have opposed Gov. Rick Scott’s (R-FL) attempt to not allow early voting on Sunday. Democrats argue that many African-Americans, who tend to vote for their candidates, go to the polls after church on Sunday.

What did Ohio do?

In the past, Ohio set a policy that allowed voters to cast their ballot three days before the election. In 2008, 93,000 Ohioans took advantage of these rules. Republicans, who control the Ohio state legislature, passed a law that restricted early voting rights to only those in the military.

What did the Obama campaign do?

The Obama campaign subsequently filed a lawsuit, a copy of which can be read here, that seeks to reinstate the three-day early voting period for all Ohioans. The lawsuit argues that the new law adopted by the legislature will cause voters to “suffer direct and irreparable injury” by depriving many of them of the opportunity to vote. The lawsuit also claims that the distinction between other Ohio voters and military service members is “arbitrary.”

What did the Romney campaign do?

The Romney campaign argued that the Obama campaign was trying to deprive military service members of their voting rights through the lawsuit, issuing the following statement,

“President Obama’s lawsuit claiming it is unconstitutional for Ohio to allow servicemen and women extended early voting privileges during the state’s early voting period is an outrage.”

Even some conservative publications like Hot Air have cast doubt on the Romney campaign's claim.

How did the Obama campaign respond?

The Obama campaign called the Romney campaign’s argument a lie. The Obama campaign points out that the lawsuit does not seek to deprive anyone of any voting rights, but instead seeks to reinstate the early voting rights for all Ohioans.

Why it matters

Ohio is a key swing state with 18 electoral votes in the upcoming election. Early voting tends to benefit Democrats. As was proven in Florida in 2000, a few thousand votes in one state can effectively decide which party occupies the White House over the next four years.