OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A federal judge has ruled that Ohio’s strict voter ID law, which includes a photo provision, is constitutional and has rejected a challenge to it.
The ruling tossed out a complaint filed by a Democratic law firm challenging provisions including a photo ID, “drop box restrictions, and tightened deadlines related to absentee and provisional ballots.”
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent, a Clinton appointee, found that the Ohio photo ID requirement, in particular, “imposes no more than a minimal burden, if any, for the vast majority of voters.”
The report added: “Nugent also rejected the other claims asserted by the Elias Law Group, whose suit filed last year on behalf of groups representing military veterans, teachers, retirees, and the homeless argued the law imposed ‘needless and discriminatory burdens’ on the right to vote. The suit was filed the same day Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed the legislation over the objections of voting rights, labor, environmental, and civil rights groups that had been pleading for a veto.”
The judge stated that there is no constitutional entitlement for voters to access mail-in or early voting options. Furthermore, he pointed out that Ohio’s revised timetable for acquiring and submitting absentee ballots is still more accommodating than that of 30 other states.
He pointed out that the argument suggesting that restricting ballot drop boxes to one location negatively impacted voters was not accurate, given that the 2023 law marked the state’s first use of such boxes.
But, it’s worth noting that the provision enacted by the GOP-controlled legislature to formalize the single-drop box restriction per county came after years of contentious debate on the matter.
Leading up to the 2020 election, three different courts admonished Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose for his issuance of an order that established the single-box restriction, deeming it unreasonable and arbitrary.
Democrats and voting rights organizations had advocated for the installation of multiple drop boxes, especially in densely populated counties, as a means to facilitate voting amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Democrats filed a lawsuit in 2020, and a state appellate court ultimately ruled that Secretary of State Frank LaRose had the authority to increase the number of drop boxes without requesting additional legislative approval. However, it emphasized that he was not obliged to do so. The 2023 law, by formalizing the single-box restriction, addressed the matter for the first time.
This comes as two national polls revealed that Trump is regaining momentum from Vice President Kamala Harris, a shift from last week’s polls that showed the race as essentially deadlocked.
Surveys from CNBC and Rasmussen show Trump with leads over Harris of 2% and 5%, respectively.
CNBC’s All-America Economic Survey indicates Trump leading Harris 48% to 46%, with a significant boost in approval for his handling of the economy, where voters favor him by more than a 2-to-1 margin.
Additionally, the results remain largely consistent with CNBC’s July poll, which showed Trump leading Biden 45% to 43%, suggesting that Harris’s new challenge has not diminished his support among swing voters.
The Rasmussen survey also indicates that Trump is maintaining steady support in a direct matchup. However, when independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is included on the ballot, Trump’s support rises by 3% since July to 49%, while Harris and RFK each see a decline of 1% and 2%, respectively. With a margin of error of +/- 2%, President Trump holds a substantial lead in the large survey.
🇺🇲 2024 GE: @Rasmussen_Poll
🟥 Trump: 49% [=]
🟦 Harris: 44% [=]
🟪 Other: 4%
—
🟥 Trump: 49% [+3]
🟦 Harris: 44% [-1]
🟨 RFK Jr: 3% [-2]
🟪 Other: 2%[+/- change vs July 28-31]
—
1,794 LV | August 1 & 4-7 | MoE: ±2%https://t.co/s2GloBn522 pic.twitter.com/Yln45pbjci— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) August 8, 2024
“It is less now a referendum on Trump than it is a head-to-head competition between the two candidates,” said Micah Roberts, partner at the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies who helped conduct the CNBC survey.
In the eyes of voters, Jay Campbell, partner at Hart Research and Democratic pollster, firmly believes that Harris is making up for her boss’s shortcomings.
“She’s still carrying a lot of water for the administration,” Campbell said. “She has to answer for that and define herself independently…That’s a lot of baggage to carry when you’ve got a compressed time frame against a mature campaign on Trump’s side.”
The economy continues to be a top concern for voters, alongside immigration, both of which are areas where President Trump holds significant leads.
A large majority of Americans believe their financial situation would improve under a second Trump administration.
Additionally, Harris faces a challenge within her party, as only 48% of Democrats think she would be a better economic steward, while 42% believe it would make no difference.
