Winning The Early Battles

In an increasing number of states, unrestricted early voting is changing the face of elections.  People can vote early without having to prove they will be absentee on Election Day in states like Ohio, and here in Cincy people are certainly taking advantage of it.

Here in Ohio, an election period that now stretches over 35 days is one of the few things lifting the spirits of Democrats. Two years ago, the party overwhelmed Republicans in early voting. John McCain received more votes on Election Day, but Barack Obama carried the state, because many Democrats and independents voted early.

“We have more than 30 days to find our supporters, get them out to vote and win this election,” Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio, a Democrat, told a crowd at a weekend rally, where he rolled up in a bus with an early-voting message emblazoned on the side. “Are we going to do it?”

A group of Republican voters filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court in Cincinnati challenging the practice of a few Ohio counties — Democratic-leaning ones — that provide postage-paid envelopes for absentee ballots. Voters in most counties across the state have to provide their own stamp, a disparity they argue created unequal access to vote.

One of the biggest elements of the Democratic Party’s effort to persuade first-time voters from the last presidential race to vote in the midterm election comes through early voting. Organizing for America, the party’s network of Obama supporters, is focusing much of its effort on important Congressional races in states that allow early voting. 

Early voting laws favor Democrats, and the Republicans know it...but they have been unable to shut down the process and turn elections into arenas where retirees and the wealthy have the time to vote on a Tuesday when the rest of us have to work.

That's why there's been such a push to try to de-legitimatize Democratic party GOTV operations.  If the only explanation for Democrats winning is "voter fraud" then Republicans can start making it more difficult for ordinary people to vote.  In many ways they already have.

Many states have passed voter ID laws which do far more for disenfranchising younger, urban voters than protecting the "integrity" of voting.  Republicans know the demographics of the United States are working against them as the years progress and more minority voters make up the population.

At the same time, they are trying to do everything they can to restrict voting to those who can afford the time and money to do so.  It's a good plan if you're a cynical Republican.

And it will make all the difference in battleground states like Ohio.