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WKEF-TV ABC 22 News :: News - Top Stories - 2 PM UPDATE: Report by End of Week over Democrats' Suspension
Monday, August 20 2012, 04:37 PM EDT
2 PM UPDATE: Report by End of Week over Democrats' Suspension
COLUMBUS (AP) -- An administrative hearing officer says he's aiming to issue a report by the end of the week on whether two Democratic election officials from southwest Ohio violated a directive on uniform early voting hours.

The independent hearing officer listened Monday morning to arguments from an attorney for Secretary of State Jon Husted and a lawyer for two members of the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

At issue is whether board members Dennis Lieberman and Tom Ritchie Sr. failed to act consistently with Husted's directive and should be removed from the board.

Husted has ordered all 88 county election boards to have the same hours on weekdays and no weekend hours.

Lieberman says he sticks by a motion he made to follow the directive but allow additional voting hours during weekends.

While Lieberman and Ritchie were meeting with Husted this morning supporters rallied for them in the streets.


Earlier coverage:

Democratic Board Members Face Secretary of State

COLUMBUS (AP) -- A lawyer for Ohio's Republican chief elections official says two Democratic election officials from southwest Ohio violated the secretary of state's directive setting uniform early voting hours and should be disciplined.

Attorney Rich Coglianese says board members Dennis Lieberman and Tom Ritchie Sr. of Montgomery County were given a chance to retract their votes to extend voting hours into the weekend and did not.

Secretary of State Jon Husted told the members to appear at his office Monday morning for a hearing about why they shouldn't be removed from the board. Husted has ordered all 88 county election boards to have the same hours on weekdays and to close on weekends.

Lieberman says he sticks by his motion to follow the directive but allow additional hours during the weekend.

We'll bring you the latest developments from this story online and on ABC 22 at 6, on Fox 45 at 6:30.


August 19 coverage:

DAYTON -- Two board members on the Montgomery County Board of Elections will find out if their strong stance on early voting cost them their jobs.

Dennis Lieberman and Tom Ritchie, Senior, both Democrats, refused to back down on Friday when it came to ending weekend voting. The two men were expected to meet Monday morning with Secretary of State Jon Husted in Columbus.

Democrats see the state's move as voter suppression.

We talked with Lieberman before he was suspended on Friday about his stance on weekend voting.

"The fact is that when it was available to them they utilized it and so if we don't give it to them we're disenfranchising those voters and perhaps more," Lieberman said.

Husted says it's fiscally responsible to not have weekend voting, something Montgomery County Republicans agree with.

"Certainly there's costs associated with being open on weekends. You have to have staff there, you have to have all the necessary components in order for an election to occur on a weekend," said Montgomery County Republican Chairman Rob Scott.

Scott says there are still many options for voters.

"People can vote any time, anywhere they want, we have absentee voting in the state of Ohio, we have 24/7 voting."2 PM UPDATE: Report by End of Week over Democrats' Suspension

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