The United States Supreme Court ruling on June 11, 2018, allows for voter purging in Ohio. Learn more about the decision by clicking here.
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the practice of removing voters from the state’s voter rolls simply for missing an election or two is not a violation of constitutional law. Check out monderlaw.com to find more.
This decision is a setback for voting rights all across the country and will disenfranchise thousands of voters who show up on Election Day to vote, only to learn their registration has been PURGED and they’re not allowed to cast a ballot.
We can’t let this happen. Visit our homepage at ohiounitycoalition.org and click the ‘Am I Registered?’ button to check your status, or the ‘Register To Vote Online’ button to register to vote or update your voter address online.
Local Boards of Elections have been directed by Ohio Secretary of State Husted to send notices to voters that show no voter activity from the March 15, 2016 Primary Election through the May 8, 2018 Primary Election, asking them to confirm and/or update their address. If you receive one of these notices, respond to it. If a voter fails to respond to the notice by either confirming that none of their information has changed, or fails to update their address if they have moved, their voter registration could by cancelled by the state, preventing them from voting in this year’s federal election on Nov. 6, 2018.
While Husted has indicated that no voter registration shall be cancelled, that is only true because the Aug. 7 Special Election in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District prohibits the Secretary of State from cancelling registrations 90 days prior to a primary or general election. This does not mean you are in the clear. You must ACT NOW to check your registration and update it if necessary in order to be able to vote in the important NOVEMBER 6, 2018 mid-term Election.
How do I make sure I’m registered and able to vote?
- Click here –> www.ohiounitycoalition.org“>www.ohiounitycoalition.org and scroll down to the ‘Am I registered?’ button.
- Click that button to use the voter lookup tool. Type in your First Name, Last Name and County. If your name appears with your correct address, click your name.
- If you see a message that your registration is in confirmation status, you must submit a change of address either online or by completing a new voter registration form.
- Return to our homepage www.ohiounitycoalition.org and click the ‘Register To Vote Online’ button to update your address online, or click ‘Print Voter Registration Form’ to print a copy of the Ohio Voter Registration Form.
- Once you’ve filled out and signed the form, mail it to your county’s Board of Elections office — you can find that address by clicking here.
By Petee Talley, Convener of the Ohio Unity Coalition, a state chapter of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Follow & engage on our social media pages facebook.com/ohiounitycoalition and twitter.com/ohiounity for more on this issue! Tweet with #CheckYourself and #ProtectMyVote to add your voice to the public conversation.
