Ohio voter groups have called for a statewide walkout and protest in Columbus as the US presidential election hinges on thousands of provisional ballots and claims of disenfranchisement.
After a day of huge turnout and widespread reports of voting irregularities [1 | 2 | 3] the polls closed in Ohio with a margin of fewer than 150,000 votes separating Bush and Kerry out of more than 5 million cast. Polls stayed open late into the night to accommodate people who waited on line for over five hours. (Read minute-by-minute reports from throughout the day.)

The final vote tally may require counting provisional and absentee ballots, which will take more than 11 days. Although races in New Mexico, Iowa, and others have not been called, Ohio’s 20 electoral votes appear to be decisive in determining the presidency.

In a repeat of their actions in 2000, corporate media made premature calls of victory. Fox News Channel made the first claim of a Bush win in Ohio (at 12:41 am) followed by MSNBC (at 12:59 am). But this time the other networks held back, leaving corporate media conflicted on the outcome of the election. The Kerry/Edwards team refused to concede defeat.

It is not known how many provisional ballots were issued throughout the day. The Help America Vote Act, passed after the failed election of 2000, requires that provisional ballots be provided to anyone whose claim of registration cannot be verified on election day. Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell originally ordered election workers not to issue provisional ballots to people who had applied for absentee ballots but not received them. A federal judge reversed that order around 3:00 pm sending voters’ groups scrambling to inform voters of their newly-restored right.

Blackwell, a Republican and major supporter of George W. Bush, has been under pressure to resign after taking many steps to limit enfranchisement.

A Cincinnati resident has already filed suit [pdf] asking a federal judge to order Blackwell to issue a uniform set of standards for reviewing the provisional ballots.

Ohio activists are not waiting for the courts or the Democrats. Making good on a November 1 promise to take action if there was significant voter suppression and intimidation on election day, a coalition of groups has called for a statewide walkout and convergence on Columbus, the state capitol, as well as local actions in Toledo, Cincinatti, Cleveland, Oxford, and Athens.

“This is a true grassroots mobilization to take back the democratic process from the pundits and the stronghold of the Republican and Democratic National Parties,” declared Alessandra Hernandez.  ”We have seen thousands of people newly activated by an election process that routinely marginalizes the voices of the people most in need, and we are here to say we have had enough.  Democracy begins with each one of us, and it begins today!”

“As with 2000, George Bush is trying to seize power after a disputed election made artificially close by widespread disenfranchisement,” said an anonymous post to Indymedia.us. “If there was ever a time to engage politically, to do more than just vote as a way of taking control of your life, it is right now.”

-Joshua Breitbart, Consulting Editor

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2004 at 1:07 pm by Catherine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.