League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Brunner
In a giant step towards equal access to the ballot box for all Ohio voters, the Lawyers' Committee and its partners reached a landmark settlement with the State of Ohio that on June 15, 2009 will radically transform the way elections are run.
The lawsuit, League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Brunner, arose from the Lawyers' Committee's leadership of Election Protection in 2004 and was initially filed against Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and Governor Bob Taft in 2005. As a result of the settlement, the State of Ohio will:
- Ensure uniformity and consistency in Ohio election procedures, so that the opportunity to vote can be enjoyed equally by all Ohio citizens;
- Promote pre-election planning that will minimize errors and breakdowns in the implementation of elections, overcome past problems of inadequate equipment and resources at polling places, prevent the failure to properly process provisional and absentee ballots, increase disability access, and correct problems with voting technology and security;
- Improve the recruitment and training of election officials and poll workers; and
- Provide accountability by instituting consistent data collection and monitoring of key aspects of election administration.
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The plaintiffs, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, the League of Women Voters of Toledo-Lucas County, and a dozen Ohio citizens, were represented by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Demos, and the law firms of Proskauer Rose LLP, Arnold & Porter LLP, and Connelly, Jackson & Collier LLP, along with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and People for the American Way Foundation.
