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A Lake County Superior Court Judge on Wednesday ordered early voting sites in heavily Democratic Hammond, Gary and East Chicago to remain open in a decision that could affect the presidential election in the battleground state of Indiana.
In her decision, Judge Diane Kavadias Schneider dismissed complaints from local GOP officials trying to block the sites on the grounds they violated local election rules and created a risk for voter fraud.
Since local Republicans first sought to close the sites two weeks ago, the case has drawn attention from the presidential campaigns of both John McCain and Barack Obama because Indiana is a swing state.
"This is one of a dozen-plus legal actions that our campaign is paying attention to," said Ben Porritt, a spokesman for the McCain-Palin campaign. "Most importantly, the goal of our campaign is to ensure that all eligible voters have an opportunity to vote, and their votes be counted. We obviously back early polling locations, as long as they are done according to state law. While we disagree with this decision, we will continue to monitor any further legal action that takes place."
Wednesday's ruling was hailed by Democrats because it means more voters in a heavily-Democratic region of Indiana have easier access to the polls. In the past, voters had to go to Crown Point to cast early ballots.
"Early voting has been a great success so far in Lake County. Thanks to Judge Kavadias Schneider's ruling today, thousands of Indiana voters had their rights protected and the opportunity granted to take part in early voting," said Jonathan Swain, Indiana spokesman for Obama. "No matter which candidate or which party they are voting for, all Hoosiers who are eligible to vote deserve the right to have their voices heard in this critical election."
Schneider was appointed by the Indiana Supreme Court to preside over the case brought by John B. Curley, chairman of the Lake County, Ind., Republican Central Committee, and Jim B. Brown, Lake County Board of Elections member.
The plaintiffs alleged that early voting sites in the three cities should not have been opened because there was no unanimous vote by the Lake County Board of Elections approving the locations.
Attorneys from the other side said no unanimous vote was needed by the election board because the three locationsone in each cityare in government offices and not "satellite" voting sites. R. Lawrence Steele, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, was not available for comment on Wednesday.
This shit is getting out of hand.
Indiana judge allows early voting to go on -- chicagotribune.com
And apparently when the judge asked the Republicans attorney what to do with votes already cast...he said "just throw them out".
But its the only way republicans can win an election nowdays.
