GOP RECORD

Failed to Protect the Right to Vote in Open, Honest Elections System

• Blackwell Disenfranchised Hundreds of Thousands of Ohio Voters.  As the chief elections officer in Ohio, J. Kenneth Blackwell was responsible for overseeing the 2004 presidential election.  Blackwell, co-chair of the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign in Ohio, used his official responsibilities to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters.  More than one quarter of the state’s voters reported some kind of problem on Election Day.  Complications included extremely long waiting lines, problems with registration and polling locations, difficulty with absentee and provisional ballots, and unlawful identification requirements at the polls. [U.S. House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff, “Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio,” 1/5/05; Democratic National Committee, “Democracy at Risk: The 2004 Election in Ohio,” 2005]

• Blackwell’s Conflict of Interest: Owned Stock in Voting Machine Company.  Secretary of State Blackwell bought Diebold stock at the same time his office negotiated with the company to purchase voting machines.  In January 2005, Blackwell declared counties could only buy optical-scan devices.  He also bought nearly $10,000 in Diebold stock.  Three months later, Blackwell issued a new directive stating his office negotiated a best-in-the-nation price for Diebold touch screens.  Diebold’s former CEO, Wally O’Dell, is a supporter of the Republican Party; O’Dell authored a 2003 GOP fundraising letter stating he was committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to President Bush. [Columbus Dispatch, 4/4/06; AP, 7/13/06]

WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED

SECRETARY OF STATE JENNIFER BRUNNER

Protecting Every Citizens’ Right to Vote in Fair Elections System

• Promoting Civic Participation in Fair Election System.  The Voting Rights Institute was designed to promote civic participation and to ensure every Ohioan’s right to vote in an election system that is fair, open, and honest.  The Institute works with communities, organizations, and elected officials to implement programs that will secure a reliable process that fosters and enhances access to voting.  Advocates of many political affiliations from across the country are members of a 40-person advisory council. 

Restoring Voters’ Trust in the Election Process

• Cleaned Up Problematic Boards of Election.  Amidst a series of scandals, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner demanded that all four members of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections resign.  The four officials – two Democrats and two Republicans – were responsible for overseeing voting procedures in Ohio’s most populous county with the largest number of registered voters.  One of the biggest scandals came when two high-ranking employees were sentenced to the maximum of 18 months in prison for manipulating a preliminary recount of the 2004 presidential election vote.  Secretary Brunner hoped the overhaul would provide a clean slate for the citizens of Cuyahoga County and restore trust in the elections process.

• Evaluating Ohio Voting Systems to Increase Public Confidence in Elections.  In December 2007, Secretary Brunner released Project EVEREST: Evaluation & Validation of Election-Related Equipment, Standards and Testing.  EVEREST, the most massive undertaking of the Brunner Administration, is a top-to-bottom review of the accuracy and security of the voting machines used in Ohio.  The $1.9 million study, conducted by academic and computer experts, was reviewed by a bipartisan panel of 12 county election officials prior to its release.  Secretary Brunner was commended by Democratic, Republican and nonpartisan leadership for taking substantive steps towards ensuring greater transparency and accountability in Ohio’s voting process.  

Making Voter Registration More Accessible

• Improving Online Voter Registration for Military Members and Overseas Residents.  Secretary of State Brunner and her office partnered with the Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF), a national non-partisan, non-profit organization whose mission is to facilitate and increase participation of overseas and military voters in federal elections.  Ohio is one of three states to actively join OVF’s efforts to provide vastly improved online tools and services to assist with voter registration, absentee ballot requests, and voting information.  A federal study in September 2007 found that barely one-third of the nearly one million absentee ballots requested by Americans overseas in 2006 were actually cast or counted.

• First in Nation to Include Voter Registration Forms with Change-Of-Address Notifications.  Secretary of State Brunner made Ohio the first state in the nation to include voter registration forms with change-of-address packs from the U.S. Postal Service when residents move.  The pilot program will target 45 counties and, starting February 2008, every household that completes a change-of-address form will receive two voter registration forms.  

Engaging Young People in Elections Process

• Educating High School Grads on Voting Process.  In 2007, Secretary Brunner launched Grads Vote 2007, a pilot program in five counties (Knox, Lucas, Montgomery, Scioto, Trumbull) designed to boost voter registration efforts among graduating high school seniors.  Secretary Brunner dubbed the program “the ultimate civics lesson,” which includes voter registration forms and voting information with high school diplomas.  The pilot program was so successful that it will be implemented statewide in 2008, reaching over 140,000 graduating seniors.