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Federal Appeals Court Rules Against How Ohio Purges Voter Rolls

ideastream file photo of a polling station.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against the process to remove voters from the rolls, used by Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted. From our Statehouse Bureau Jo Ingles reports.

Husted’s office has removed nearly 1.4 million voter registrations from the voter rolls. Some were dead, were thought to have moved or were inactive voters.

American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Spokesman Mike Brickner hopes now that the court agrees that “use it or lose it” method of removing voters is not legal, it will order the state to put those people back on the voter rolls. 

“The other remedy we have suggested if people who have been purged show up on Election Day that they be permitted to cast a provisional ballot and that that ballot be counted.”

In a written statement, Husted said this decision undermines voter confidence and opens the door to fraud.

And if the court tells his office to reinstate voting eligibility to people who have died or moved out of Ohio, Husted says his office will appeal the ruling.