Looking for Voter Reform, Groups Keep Eyes on Ohio

[Carolab]

By Henry Weinstein and Ralph Vartabedian, Times Staff Writers

Although there appears to be virtually no chance that the results of the presidential race in Ohio will change, groups there continue to express dismay about how the election was conducted. They are taking actions to keep the state's troubled voting mechanisms in the public spotlight and hopefully generate reforms by 2006.

Today, a coalition including the Ohio Citizens Alliance for Secure Elections, the League of Young Voters and the People for the American Way Foundation has scheduled the first of two public hearings "to investigate voter irregularities and voter suppression," according to Susan Truitt of Columbus, co-founder of the citizens alliance.

In addition, the Green and Libertarian parties announced on Thursday that they planned to file a formal demand for a recount of presidential ballots cast in Ohio. The Greens and the Libertarians, as well as Common Cause of Ohio and Massachusetts-based Alliance for Democracy, said they had launched a campaign to raise the $114,000 it would cost to conduct the recount.

There is no chance that either Michael Badnarik, the Libertarian candidate who polled 0.26% of the votes cast for president, or David K. Cobb, the Green candidate who got even fewer votes, will win.

But both said they thought a recount was warranted because of problems that occurred on election day, including reports of machine malfunctions, long lines and the inability of some voters to obtain provisional ballots.

(more) http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-ohio13nov13,0,6697342.story?coll=la-home-politics