Not Just Another Day In Voter Suppression

As in virtually every other state, students from outside Ohio who attend colleges in Ohio may register to vote as residents of Ohio if they so choose.  It's been that way for years and has never caused a problem.

Nevertheless, Republicans in the Ohio Senate tried to stuff a little voter suppression measure into the current transportation budget.  They wanted to require that out-of-state students who register to vote in Ohio must also obtain an Ohio drivers license and vehicle registration.  Such requirement would necessitate an expense to these students of $75 or more.  Approximately 115,000 students would be impacted by the measure.

Does this have anything to do with transportation?  Hell no!  With establishing residency?  Hell no!  With making it more difficult for a small bloc of likely Democrats to vote in Ohio?  Hell yes!!!

The transportation budget bill landed on Gov. Kasich's desk today and guess what he did?  Kasich used his line-item veto power and scratched out that blatant attempt at voter suppression.  I still don't trust the Wonder Guv as far as I can spit, but I must say I'm pleased.  He did the right thing today.

That's today.  Tomorrow, who knows?  Republicans know full well that low voter turnout is always in their best interests, especially if those who don't show up are young people, college-educated people, women, African Americans/Latinos/non-whites, old people, and low-income people.

That's why they'll continue to "fix" the non-existent problems of voter fraud and residency.  They'll keep fixing it until the only people allowed to vote are those who sit on the boards of Fortune 500 companies.