Ohio is the most aggressive among the states in purging voters from the rolls. In a major SCOTUS ruling, with the somewhat expected divide of 5-4 and overruling a district appeals court that struck down this procedure, blind (oh, my) justice decided that voters who decide not to vote will be stricken from the rolls after opting not to vote for two federal cycles.
Federal law (the NVRA) disagrees. So did the Obama administration. But another case supported the Ohioans (read the article).
What's this, obligatory voting? That's a perennial issue. But the Ohio practice, no surprise, tends to prevent lots of would-be Democratic voters from exercising their franchise. So obligatory voting, as is the practice in Australia, for example, is not the central issue. It was, instead, the practice of sending out a notice after one federal cycle is missed. Sort of borderline with caging?
At www.nytimes.com
