Attorney General Holder: Supreme Court Decision to Restrict Early Voting ‘A Major Step Backward’
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Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, in a video massage posted to the Department of Justice’s website on Monday, criticized the Supreme Court decision to restrict early voting in Ohio.
“It is a major step backward to allow these reductions to early voting to go into effect,” Holder said. “Early voting is about much more than making it more convenient for people to exercise their civic responsibilities. It’s about preserving access and openness for every eligible voter, not just those who can afford to miss work or who can afford to pay for childcare.”
A federal judge ruled that an Ohio law violated the voting rights act and blocked it from taking effect, a ruling upheld by a Federal appeals court judge. The Supreme Court, however, ruled that the law, putting limits on early voting ahead of November’s election, should go into effect immediately.
Early voting would have begun last week, if not for the Supreme Court’s decision. Critics of early absentee voting claim it makes the electoral system susceptible to fraud, and can also depress voter turnout.
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