Ohio seeing heavy requests for Democratic primary ballots

[LaurenG]

'Cross-over' voting has baggage

BY GREGORY KORTE | [e-mail]

Barack Obama's attempts to upset Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary on Tuesday rely - at least partly - on an Ohio law that allows independents and Republicans to vote a Democratic ballot.

But voters beware: Ohio's system is not a true "open" primary. And the law discourages voters from whimsically switching parties each election to vote in a more exciting race - or to create mischief.

With Arizona Sen. John McCain all but entrenched as the GOP presidential nominee, many Republican voters may be tempted to switch their party affiliation to weigh in on the historic Democratic contest between New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Heavy requests for Democratic ballots in early or absentee voting indicate the phenomenon may be happening in Southwest Ohio, where Republicans historically have been the majority party.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080302/NEWS01/803020347/-1/CINCI

[susankh4]

1. We are aware that it is happening

And I would not be surprised to see a lawsuit arise from it.

Our Gov. and several other govt officials are watching it quite closely.

The word is "cross over at your own risk."

[babylonsister]

3. Cross over at your own risk? What does that mean? Maybe rethugs

are just using their brains for a change after the past dismal, destructive 8 years. I don't blame them for wanting a change, be that Clinton or Obama.

[susankh4]

5. If that is their intent.... to really change parties....

they will not have a problem.

If, OTOH, they want to mess with our primary and then go back and vote GOP in the fall.... there may be some issues for them.

Noone has ever, apparently, brought a suit on something like this.... but, it could be done. And it would be within the law.

[aquart]

2. HOW does the law "discourage" them?

I hate open primaries. I'll be damned if I think namby-pampy fence sitters should make choices for Democrats. As for allowing registered Republicans to decide for us? NO! Not right. Not sane, either.

[Berry Cool]

6. Some prefer to vote for people rather than parties, and they are hardly "namby-pampy fence sitters."

They see the world in a way other than binary.

I have always been one of them.

However, things are at such a state right now that there is simply no way we can take a chance on another Republican president. For that reason, I am an Ohioan, formerly independent, who will become a declared Democrat for the time being in order to vote in the Dem primary.

It's a big step for me--but, I think, a necessary one.

[aquart]

7. So you trusted Republican party "people" to be independent?

To vote the right and not what the party whip decreed? How did that work for you? And the rest of us?

If you aren't IN the party, fighting for the platform you want, and putting up primary challengers, then I stick with namby-pamby.

[babylonsister]

4. This is great news-rec'd! nt