League of Women Voters of Ohio settles long legal battle

After four years of legal wrangling, the League of Women Voters of Ohio and the state of Ohio reached a settlement in a case stemming from the 2004 presidential election.

According to the LWVO press release distributed June 18th, the 2005 suit alleged that then Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, Governor Bob Taft, and their predecessors had failed to protect the fundamental rights of eligible Ohio voters to cast a meaningful ballot, as required by the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The settlement requires the state of Ohio to provide for uniformity and consistency in election procedures to ensure the opportunity to vote is fair and equal for all Ohioans. “Voters can be encouraged by today’s agreement that state election officials share our vision for an effective system that protects their rights and grants them access to a smooth election experience,” LWVO president Meg Flack said in the group’s press release. “This is a great victory for the citizens of Ohio and one that will assure that the state consistently provides and implements the most efficient election system.” A full copy of the settlement can be viewed here and a fact sheet here. A story on the lawsuit from the Columbus Post Dispatch can be found here.