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Election Rights Advocates Subpoena 19 Ohio Election Boards


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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Election rights advocates challenging recently passed Ohio voting laws are seeking information from 19 election boards in an ongoing federal lawsuit.

Court records show subpoenas went out to the boards Tuesday in the lawsuit, brought by the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Columbus Coalition for the Homeless and Ohio Democratic Party.

The parties claim Ohio created new hurdles for minority voters casting absentee or provisional ballots. The allegations include that the laws and similar orders by Ohio’s secretary of state unconstitutionally allow absentee votes to be thrown out for ID errors, such as writing the wrong birth month on an absentee envelope when correct information was supplied on a ballot request.

Attorney Caroline Gentry says subpoenas seek proof that the state violated the Voting Rights Act and 14th Amendment.