Ohio from a political perspective has always been a great thermometer for the gauging the national perspectives on different political actions. This is not a modern phenomena by any means but at this point a well known fact for both of the major political parties. With the landslide of Democratic support Obama was able to generate with his initial presidential campaign, the Republican party was forced to reassess its approach to generating the support necessary to compete in primaries with the Democratic party. This has manifested itself in different ways (most recent primary elections not included). In Ohio the changes in voting laws have come under question not just locally but nationally. The country is alarmed at the changes Ohio has placed in making the ballot accessible to its citizens. Whats being looked at more directly is the change in the early voting procedure. The proposed changes look to amend the available days from 35 to 28 and eliminate the weeknight and Sunday night voting hours. What is discouraging about these changes are that those times under potential amendment are the prime time for minority and college age voters to take advantage of early voting. What is alternately encouraging is the amount of attention being given to the issue by thew demographic the changes could potentially effect most.
In recent months young Americans have decided to protest against what they deem as injustice ranging from the police to issues regarding ballot access. That is incredibly encouraging. That means that Americans regardless of the outcome are not asleep at the wheel. That people are aware and willing to engage in civic protest (an amendment honored rite) to show displeasure is a sign of a healthy and vital citizenry. In our neighboring institution Miami University Oxford, students protested the voting restrictions via a small rally. I have provided the link to the Miami University protest below as well as a link to a article covering the same topic.
DDN ARTICLE OVER VOTING RESTRICTIONS
Miami University Oxford Students Protesting
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