The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to reinstate the week in which Ohioans could register to vote and cast ballots at the same time – effectively setting October 12 as the first day of early voting.
The Supreme Court denied a request from Ohio Democrats to restore the so-called Golden Week for this election while they appeal a ruling in favor of the 2014 Republican-backed law that cut out Golden Week and shortened the early voting period. Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted noted there were no justices who wrote against the decision not to hear the case.
“That means that all of the Supreme Court justices feel Ohio’s system of voting is very generous.”
A lower court had ruled eliminating Golden Week disproportionately hurt African American voters, but an appeals court rejected that. Democrats say 80,000 people cast ballots during Golden Week in 2012.
Correction: This story originally stated Ohio Democrats were appealing a ruling against a 2014 law that cut Golden Week.
