# Any Ohioians here? Blackwell and voter registration. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ohioians-here-blackwell-and-voter-registration/267235 "2004-10-02T21:16:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ohioians-here-blackwell-and-voter-registration/267235/1 "2004-10-02T21:16:37Z")
Is he really doing this? > [@](#): > > First, the Secretary of State of State, J. Kenneth Blackwell, is rejecting voter registration forms because the paper used by citizens was the incorrect thickness. [http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/campaigns/votingrights.cfm?MemberID=0&Page=Index](http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/campaigns/votingrights.cfm?MemberID=0&Page=Index) The incorrect thickness??? _Bites his tongue because this is GQ_ ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ohioians-here-blackwell-and-voter-registration/267235/2 "2004-10-02T21:30:17Z")
I believe he was, [but is no longer](http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/9793354.htm?1c): > [@](#): > > Ohio’s top election official told county election boards on Wednesday to accept voter registration cards even if they’re not printed on heavy cardboard-like paper. > > The advisory Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell issued to officials in each county clarified a directive that created confusion by requiring the cards to be printed on 80-pound card stock. > > Blackwell said on Wednesday boards should accept all otherwise valid forms and register voters, then send voters the proper card - printed by the county board - to fill out for the permanent record. > > . . . > > Blackwell’s office said the order is meant to prevent lightweight cards from being shredded by postal equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ohioians-here-blackwell-and-voter-registration/267235/3 "2004-10-02T21:37:50Z")
It appears to be true, although he went on to revoke that requirement. Here’s an article from the Cincinatti Enquirer, talking about calls for his resignation: > **[Cincinnati News, Sports and Things to Do | Cincinnati Enquirer](https://www.cincinnati.com)** > > Breaking Cincinnati news, traffic, weather and local headlines from The Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper. From the article: > [@](#): > > Democrats also raised concerns about Blackwell ordering election boards to accept voter registration forms only if they are printed on 80-pound stock paper, heavier than ordinary letter paper. > > Blackwell on Wednesday issued a clarification, telling boards to accept voter registration on any paper thickness. But while some were ignoring the order, other county boards had already been forcing some voters to re-register . ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ohioians-here-blackwell-and-voter-registration/267235/4 "2004-10-02T21:39:04Z")
Well I’m l’m glad he’s stopped. But this is BS… > [@](#): > > Blackwell’s office said the order is meant to prevent lightweight cards from being shredded by postal equipment. To not accept them means he got them. ---
**Author:** ![Lagged2Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lagged2Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagged2Death)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ohioians-here-blackwell-and-voter-registration/267235/5 "2004-10-02T21:57:08Z")
I live in Ohio. I haven’t heard anything about this before. I’ve moved since the last election, and I registered to vote just the other day. I did notice that the official registration form was printed on uncommonly heavy paper - almost like an index card - and that the layout of the form suggested it was meant to be folded up and mailed. I seem to recall that at the polls in Ohio, the elections officials search for each voter’s name and address in a huge book, containing thousands of pasted-in slips of paper, each with a voter’s name, address, and signature. I believe the slips of paper are actually cut from the registration forms. I can believe that heavy paper will stand up much better to the mailing, slicing, sorting, pasting, and page-flipping inherent in this 19th century paperwork system. So there may be good, if old-fashioned, reasons for requiring thick paper. Not that I’m defending the idea of tossing out bunches of registrations - if thick paper is required, then elections officials must ensure that only thick paper is supplied for the registration forms. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ohioians-here-blackwell-and-voter-registration/267235/6 "2004-10-02T23:42:44Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > Well I’m l’m glad he’s stopped. > > But this is BS… > > > [@](#): > > > > Blackwell’s office said the order is meant to prevent lightweight cards from being shredded by postal equipment. > > To not accept them means he got them. No. (At least when I registered in Ohio, 23 years ago), when the form is sent to the registrar and recorded, a portion of the form is sent back to the voter as a post card. He “got” them because they were forward in batches of inter-office mail from the License Bureau and other locations accepting registrations. He wanted to reject those that would be possibly shredded before they were returned to the voters and the voters accused him of not accepting their registrations. I’m not a big Backwell fan, but the spin on this story is silly. He has not been actively attempting to disenfranchise anyone. (As much of a key state as Ohio appears to be, this election, the Republicans are working as hard as the Democrats to register new voters. Unless you have evidence that he set up primarily Democrat precints to be screened, there is no basis for a conspiracy. He does not even _look_ like Ms. Harris.)