Ohio Republicans finally admit limited hours intended to suppress black voters

Last Wednesday Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted issued a directive to local Boards of Elections preventing them from offering early voting on weekends.   Husted claimed it was all about uniformity and fairness, but today Doug Preisse  finally  the real reason behind the decision:

“I guess I really actually feel we shouldn’t contort the voting process to accommodate the urban — read African-American — voter-turnout machine,” said Doug Preisse, chairman of the county Republican Party and elections board member who voted against weekend hours.

Shorter Doug Preisse:  I voted against keeping the polls open on weekends to prevent black Democrats from voting.

Props to Preisse for finally being honest about the Republican’s racially-targeted voter suppression agenda.

On Friday, two Democrats on the Montgomery County Board of Elections (Thomas Ritchie Sr. and Dennis Lieberman) decided to fight back, voting to allow early voting on weekends in the Dayton area.

According to the , Dayton is 42.9% black, exactly the kind of “urban — read African-American” area that typically votes for Democrats and exactly the kind of area in which Preisse and Ohio’s Republicans want to deter voter turnout.

Husted has the officials and is threatening to fire them at a hearing tomorrow morning.

A rally has been organized for 8:00AM in front of Husted’s office (180 E. Broad Street, Columbus).  We’re planning to swing by before work to help support voting rights for all Ohioians!  Hopefully you’ll join us.