The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's favor today, overturning a lower court ruling in favor of the local GOP, which was demanding the a list of 200,000 mismatched voters that they would use to disenfranchise voters at the polls.
The court ruled 9-0 that the Ohio Republican Party, which sued Brunner for the information, was not likely to succeed in its argument that Brunner legally could sued [sic] on this issue and that the courts had the authority to issue the order.
But the court expressed no opinion about whether federal law was being followed properly.
At issue is what should be done when personal information from newly registered voters doesn't match state motor vehicle and federal Social Security records after an automatic computer check is done.
I would say this is good news for the Democratic Party, except it really isn't. It's good news for democracy and the people of Ohio, who are that much closer to an election in which people won't be disenfranchised by typos and computer errors. Once again, first time voters have to provide federally approved ID to vote, so unless you have a home, driver's license, or social security card in the name of Tony Romo or Robinson Crusoe, you won't be casting a ballot.
--A. Serwer
