Justices Won't Force Ohio to Check Voter Registrations

The Supreme Court ruled today that Ohio does not have to verify hundreds of thousands of new voter registrations, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The court did not assess the Ohio Republic Party’s claim that registration needs cross-checks to prevent fraud, but rather ruled that the party did not have the standing to challenge Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on the matter.

Brunner said she worried cross-checking voter registration could lead to the de facto disenfranchisement of legitimate voters, since registrations containing even minor errors would be issued provisional ballots, which are more likely to be disqualified. Ohio’s GOP chairman was quick to point out that the court ruled on “a technicality, not on the merits of the case.” (More Election 2008 stories.)