An e-mail from the Fair Elections Legal Network about voting in Ohio.

Also thanks to Erica America & Kristin for the heads up.

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To follow-up on the discussion during yesterday's call on early voting
in Ohio, FELN has drafted a short memo outlining the details of early
voting in Ohio and explaining why it is important in particular for
students to vote early - the ID requirements during early vote are
actually easier than on Election Day, so out of state students (those
without Ohio driver's license) will have an easier time during early
vote - during early voting they only have to give their SS# and they
should be allowed to vote.  On Election Day, they will have to produce
some kind of documentation that lists their current school address,
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“How is the 2008 Presidential Election going to be different than the election in 2000, 2004?”  MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow answered her own question with a gleeful sarcasm by cheering, “The supreme Court is already involved!”*

The state, of course, is Ohio.

(*see video at bottom)

            With about two weeks left until the big day let’s take a look at how we got here, shall we?

The Ohio Secretary of State is Democrat Jennif...

            Hey!  It seems that with less than a month until E-Day (and sub-100 days left in a Bush presidency) that Ohio, a state that’s swingier than your grandma’s legs on an elliptical machine, is currently leaning in Barack Obama’s favor.

Barack is up in almost every Ohio poll.

            Even though Ohioans may be more socially conservative overall (from passing a ban on gay-marriage to keeping Ohio gambling-free) people are voting for who they think will help rid them of this current economic curmudgeon.  Most people don’t need to see a sedated Jim Kramer to figure out that things are in bad shape.

...

           You don’t need me to tell you that the VP debate was a huge deal: it was more watched than the first Presidential debate between McCain and Obama.  Usually when we watch a Vice Presidential debate we do so just to cheer on our team - after all, these people aren’t actually calling the plays, they are just the cheerleaders. 

           (Note: the “cheerleader” metaphor has nothing to do with Palin being a woman.  After all, men can be cheerleaders too)

            The reason we all tuned into the VP debates is the s...

     It seems like every election cycle there is that mischievous state that everyone turns to to see what the answer will be - the Fonzi State, if you will.  In 2000 there was the infamous case of Florida and we learned what a chad was.  In 2004 some speculated that Ohio would be a repeat scenario in leaving the nation in limbo for the next President but the situation was resolved swiftly.

     But don't think Ohio is done just yet! There are a few tricky additions coming to Ohio this November that you just might want to utilize this handy guide for.

     For instance, one quite interesting addition to this years election is that, in perhaps a serendipitous loophole, from September 30th until October 6 the deadline for voter registration ends and the start of absentee ballot voting beings.

...

            You know, the RNC and DNC these past weeks weren’t so different when you think about it:  the skillfully choreographed dance moves of courting the celebrities and millionaires that appear on and off the stage while trying to keep a safe distance by disassociation to the public, the decision to have at least one artist perform that makes you want to Van Gogh your ears (I’m looking at you, Michael MacDonald and Cowboy Troy!) and plenty of humility pouring from both sides from people who will “stand up to the lobbyists!” while never soliciting donations at Pepsi/Xcel Center and of course never allowed any corporate advertising.

...

Hey, it’s 85 days until the election!  Even if you don’t countdown with your homemade Farside calendar like I do you’ve probably noticed it’s coming down to E-Day by the political attack ads that air during your twelfth viewing of that one episode of Friends which you never really liked anyway but nothing else seems to be on but it’s TV time and be damned if you’re not going to watch it!

Also, good news if you’re a swing state (that’s right, Ohhhhhiiiioooo) because it means that the candidates start to haunt the local diners, old factories, and bowling alleys of your state’s suburbs.  A quick glance back at the last election it seemed like Bush made Cleveland a second home while Kerry focused his last hours here, too – even enlisting the help of Bruce Springsteen  and  Adam Brody.

If The Boss and Seth Cohen can’t win over Ohio’s working class then I don’t know what ever will.

...

     Right in the northern pocket of Red-blooded Ohio sits blue Cleveland, home to two of the most popular congressional members of the Democratic Party who make national headlines:  Stephanie Tubbs Jones, because of her commitment as one of Hillary Clinton’s most vocal supporters, and Dennis Kucinich, the former Presidential hopeful.

      Yet even though the ’08 Presidential Election race has already kicked off one Clevelander still has their eyes on the presidency: Representative Kucinich – but he has his aim pointed at the White House for another reason.  Last month, Mr. Kucinich filed 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush.  This month Kucinich filed just one article.

...

      Instead of its geographic location, one part of the Mid-West is named after the condition of its economy:  the Rust Belt.  Once the Industrial Mecca for America, the metropolitan giants that line the Great Lakes are now the poster children for the current hurt of the American market. 

      To illustrate the current conditions in Northeast Ohio: “More people left Cleveland last year than any other major city in America, the U.S. Census Bureau will report today [July 10, 2008]. Since 2000, only hurricane-ravaged New Orleans weathered a sharper rate of population loss.”  Ohio also had an 88% percent jump in the amount of foreclosed homes last year behind only Florida and California.  And to add to the economic strain, gas prices recently hit a record high. 

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