Dear [director and deputy director, e.g. "Ms. Jacobcik and Mr. Kelleher"], I am writing to request that you resist the unlawful and un-American effort by Secretary of State Blackwell to suppress voter turnout by strictly enforcing a requirement that Ohio voter registration cards be printed on thick, 80-pound stock paper. This is a clear violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1971 (42 U.S.C. 1971), which states, "No person acting under color of law shall . . . deny the right of any individual to vote in any election because of an error or omission on any record or paper relating to any application, registration, or other act requisite to voting, if such error or omission is not material in determining whether such individual is qualified under State law to vote in such election." It is strongly reminiscent of the Jim Crow laws Southern segregationist Democrats used to deter blacks from voting, such as poll taxes and literacy tests -- the very laws that the Voting Rights Act was specifically designed to strike down. Ohio, and especially the Ohio Republican Party, are better than this; Senator Robert Taft Jr. was one of the strongest backers of the Voting Rights Act. I hope that you will not allow the stain of such antidemocratic practices to tarnish your state's proud legacy. Sincerely, J. Alexander Harman
Thanks for the info. Where can I find the rest of Ohio's county boards of election? Might as well hit them all. Later, Alex
Thanks for the note. We are resisting it. Chris Wilson FC BOE Columbus, Ohio
Chris Wilson FC BOE Columbus, Ohio
Good news; hope the others are doing the same. Later, Alex
P.S. The Cleveland Plain Dealer just e-mailed me requesting detailed contact information, because they're considering publishing my letter to the editor requesting that they endorse Kerry. Here's hoping....