Cuyahoga County Won't Prosecute Voters Who Switched Parties (OH)

[OhioChick]

Source: AP

POSTED: 8:53 am EDT April 1, 2008

CLEVELAND -- Elections officials in Ohio's most populous county decided not take legal action against voters who switched parties in the March 4 primary.

Cuyahoga County's elections board had been investigating more than 20,000 crossover voters, mostly Republicans who sought to participate in the competitive Democratic presidential primary.

One question was whether any Republicans lied when they signed statements pledging allegiance to their new party, perhaps in the interest of giving likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain a weaker Democratic opponent for the fall.

At a meeting Monday, elections board member Sandy McNair, a Democrat, introduced a motion to subpoena a Republican who took a Democratic ballot and wrote "Today Only" on his pledge card.

McNair's motion failed when the three other elections board members, two Republicans and a Democrat, said they opposed issuing a subpoena.

Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/politics/15759987/detail.html

[David__77]

1. As well they should not.

Sorry, it's the prerogative of voters to exercise their franchise. If a political party wants to insulate itself from this, it can close itself off in various ways, such as caucusing, demanding party credentials, etc. This is the price of using primary elections as a means of mass mobilization.

[OHdem10]

2. As one attorney puts it---"What kind of campaign wants to

sue people for exercising the right to vote."

[Winterblues]

3. What a stupid idea

People have the right to vote how they please whenever they want. Democrats that want a loyalty pledge are no better than Republicans IMO.

[GoesTo11]

8. Rights and constitutional rights

I think that parties have the constitutional right to define their rules (what's that - freedom of assembly?) so in primaries, that logic doesn't necessarily apply (even if it is a morally defensible position).

The constitution has more to say about how the general election must be conducted, although even there it was obviously both ambiguous and quite imperfect.

[rexcat]

16. I would respectfully disagree with you...

a primary election is for the political party members of a given party, be it the Democrats, republicans, Bull Moose Party members or whomever, to vote for someone to represent them in the general election. If a republican crosses over to vote in the Democratic Party primary they damn better be wanting to be a Democrat, and that goes for Democrats who want to vote in the republican primary.

As far as independents go, that is their choice and they have decided not to be in an organized political party and they do not adhere to the principles of any given political party so they should stay out of the Party primaries. If there are issues to be voted on in a primary election they should take an "issues only" ballot.

Everyone has the right to vote in the general election but the primary elections are for the political party members, at least in Ohio and most states in the union. It is a 5th degree felony in Ohio to misrepresent yourself at the polling station and take a ballot of a political party you have no intention of being a part of or what to mess with the other political party's primary election. My I suggest that if anyone doubts this to check Chapter 3513.19 of the Ohio Revised Code.

[OwnedByFerrets]

4. Should they be allowed to vote as a repug in Nov??

They should NOT. Otherwise, its disingenuous to allow this farce.

[OhioChick]

5. This is what I have a problem with:

"One question was whether any Republicans lied when they signed statements pledging allegiance to their new party, perhaps in the interest of giving likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain a weaker Democratic opponent for the fall."

I know of a Repub who said that he and his family were voting for HRC, as he felt she'd be easier for McCain to beat.

[pocoloco]

6. That was the plan led by limpballs,

worked for 20,000 votes.

[Kukesa]

7. I probably heard that 10 times at the precinct

where I worked on election day. "Just For Today" and "Strategy" were uttered over-and-over again. Rush is selling t-shirts that brag about his telling people to vote for Clinton because she's less electable than Obama.

We discussed this in the DU's Ohio Forum; you ought to take a peek.

[chinadoll815]

9. Same in Texas

I ran a caucus here in Texas - had plenty of Repugs voting HRC to try and weaken Dems.

[tucsonlib]

14. Am I Missing Something?

From the very beginning of this primary race I've posted comments voicing my opinion that Clinton was the Republicans' dream opponent; Their second choice: Obama. And that with help from the DLC and the corporate media they had essentially gotten their wish. Clinton supporters (and to a lesser extent, Obama supporters) denounced my opinion as misguided, paranoid and just plain wrong. But tell me, why else would Rush and his ilk encourage listeners to surreptitiously stuff the ballot boxes for Clinton? Seriously, what other explanation can there be?

[rexcat]

17. You can tell that family they committed a 5th degree felony ..

if they live in Ohio. They should try reading chapter 3513.19 of the Ohio Revised Code (Primary Elections in the state).

I am reminding my republican friends that if they voted in the Democratic Party Primary in Ohio with the intention of remaining republicans they committed a felony and their criminal behavior is not appreciated!

[dysfunctional press]

12. the november elections aren't divided by party- it's a "general" election.

how does one "vote as a republican" in the general election in such a way that it wouldn't be allowed? :shrug:

[BigDaddy44]

13. You win the award for dumbest post of the day

You going to follow them into the booth and make sure they don't pull the wrong lever?

Its a private ballot. You vote for whoever you want. As it should be.

[truth2power]

10. What astounds me about this

is that there are still ANY Republicans left. God almighty! What would it take??

[OwnedByFerrets]

11. 19% still adds up to .....

around 50 million people who are still gladly drinking the Koolaide every day. Boggles the mind, doesnt it.

[Ordr]

15. The majority of Rupublicans despise Bush.

He is neither a true Republican nor a conservative.

[trotsky]

18. Yet John McCain has basically campaigned to continue all the Chimpy policies.

Would seem that McCain is sunk from the get-go, huh?

[LiberalFighter]

19. Was Cuyahoga County one of those counties in Kucinich's district

Where they attempted to crossover and vote for his opponent?