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Saturday, October 11, 2008

Ind. Decisions - Yet more on: Remote voting sites at issue in Lake County

Updating this ILB entry from Oct. 8th, both the NWI Times and the Gary Post Tribune report today that U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen heard arguments yesterday on the remote voting sites issue and has not yet made up his mind.

John Byrne reports in the P-T:

Attorneys spent about eight hours Friday arguing in front of U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen about whether the satellite voting sites in the three cities help ensure a fair election for residents in northern Lake County or represent a crass attempt by Democrats to run up big returns in one of Indiana's biggest Democratic strongholds.

In the end, Van Bokkelen said he had not decided whether to grant Lake County Republican Chairman John Curley a temporary restraining order to prevent the voting sites from opening in Clerk's Office locations in the cities. * * *

The judge promised to announce his decision Monday, so the voting sites could open Tuesday if he does not grant the restraining order.

Democratic attorneys say attempts to halt the in-person absentee voting sites violate the federal Voting Rights Act because it places an unfair burden on the largely minority populations of Gary, Hammond and East Chicago to travel to Crown Point to vote early at the Lake County Election Office. * * *

The Lake County Election Board voted 3-2 Sept. 23 to open the voting offices, with both Republicans on the board casting "No" votes.

The Democrats on the board opted to open the sites anyway, though state law appears to require a unanimous vote for such action.

Bill Dolan writes in the Times:
Democratic Party efforts to open satellite voting centers in the Gary, Hammond and East Chicago county courthouses have been on hold while U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen decides whether they are legal.

He heard eight hours of testimony and argument Friday morning and afternoon from lawyers of both political parties, the Indiana chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Service Employees International Union.

At the end of the day Van Bokkelen announced, "One thing I can say categorically is that my mind is not made up."

He promised a decision Monday in time for county officials to know whether they can open their satellite centers as early as Tuesday morning.

State law requires each county to open one location for people to vote in person between Oct. 6 and Nov. 3 and permits more early voting locations in Lake if the bipartisan county elections board unanimously approves them.

The elections board voted 3-2 on the issue last month, with Democratic Party members in support of them.

Here is a link to the docket, current as of today.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 11, 2008 02:27 PM
Posted to Ind Fed D.Ct. Decisions | Indiana Courts | Indiana Decisions | Indiana Government