The Washington Times: AP - Court Actions Piling Up for Ohio Voters

Oct 28, 8:08 PM EDT

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The Ohio Republican Party asked a federal appeals court Thursday to allow hearings on thousands of voters whose registrations have been challenged in this pivotal battleground state.

The request asked the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower-court ruling Wednesday that stopped hearings on about 23,000 voters who were challenged by the GOP around the state.

Republicans say mail to some of the voters came back undelivered, raising the possibility of fraud. Democrats say the GOP is trying to keep poor and minorities, who move more often, from voting.

Ohio could end up deciding who wins the White House. No Republican has ever been elected president without taking Ohio; only two Democrats have done so in 100 years. Polls show the race is too close to call in the state.

Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro also filed an appeal similar to that of the Republicans, saying Wednesday's order 'has just thrown Ohio's electoral process into disarray, and has opened the door to voter fraud.'

Republicans originally challenged about 35,000 voters but have had little success in having their registrations rejected. They withdrew about 7,500 challenges because of mistakes and county elections boards have refused to accept hundreds more.

In their appeal, Republicans said the voters whose registrations have been challenged could still cast a provisional ballot regardless of the outcome of the challenges.

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