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Clyde, Turner urge quick action for fair and lawful ballot language

Ballot Board members wish to minimize disruption to election officials and voters
September 17, 2015
Democratic Newsroom

Ballot Board members State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) and former Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) released the following statement today in response to the Ohio Supreme Court’s decision to overturn unlawful ballot language for Issue 3.

Rep. Clyde’s statement:

“I am pleased the Ohio Supreme Court has ordered the Ballot Board to meet again and follow the law this time. I voted against the original language because of its clearly misleading content and omissions. We have a duty to provide fair, unbiased language to the voters. In addition, county election officials are squeezed by an impossible timeline that requires them to print and mail ballots within 24 hours. This is a terrible way to run elections.”

Sen. Turner’s statement:

“The Ohio Supreme Court has rightly sent us back to the drawing board. Now it’s a race against the clock to get new language to the county boards of elections so that they can print their ballots in time to send them to military and overseas voters. It is my hope that we will approve language that clearly and accurately explains the issue to the voters and creates minimal disruptions to election officials who are working hard to serve Ohio’s voters. This last-minute change could have been avoided if the Board had done its duty correctly the first time.”

Rep. Clyde and Sen. Turner voted against the initial ballot language because it did not comply with the law requiring a fair, accurate and unbiased description of the issue to be presented to voters. County boards of elections are required to have ballots ready for mailing to military and overseas voters by Saturday, Sept. 19.