Letter to President Obama

My Dear Mr. President;

The news that your re-election campaign filed suit against Ohio government officials disappointed me.  The attorney for your campaign filed suit against our secretary of state, Jon Husted, and our attorney general, Mike DeWine.  The suit demands that they remove an exception in Ohio election law that allows members of the armed services and other citizens overseas to cast early ballots. 

Currently, Ohio law allows early voting in the weeks before election day, with a cut-off of 6:00 PM on the Friday before election day.  The law is intended to make the availability of early voting consistent throughout all of Ohio's counties while giving some consideration to service members and others traveling overseas.  Early voting now makes voting quite convenient here in Ohio.

The argument that excluding service members and travelers from the restriction creates two classes of voters may pass a constitutional test, but it does not pass the "So What?" test.  If your campaign’s suit is successful, it may actually make voting less convenient for many Ohio residents as just six Ohio counties were able to offer early voting on weekends before the current law was enacted.

The argument that current Ohio voting regulations suppress the vote of members of racial and ethnic minority groups supports the point that former President George W. Bush made about "the soft bigotry of low expectations."  It is bigotry to believe that members of minority groups need to have the voting process made more convenient for them in order for them to be able to vote.  I believe that voter apathy is a much greater obstacle to participation in elections than voter suppression.

I respectfully request that you direct your campaign to withdraw the lawsuit against my state.  I regard it as a frivolous lawsuit.  Our state government does not need the legal expenses.  The suit makes you seem to be scrounging for every possible vote rather than serving the public interest or the interest of justice.

Very truly yours,

John C. Stevens