Judge in Ohio Decides 17-year-olds Eligible to Join Sanders in Primary Vote
In the ongoing Ohio primary election, a significant development has occurred regarding the voting rights of 17-year-olds. Nine teenagers from across the state filed a lawsuit claiming that Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted's interpretation of state law that eliminated their voting rights was incorrect.
The teenagers' lawsuit argues that Husted's interpretation contradicts a previous ruling by the state Supreme Court that allows 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the election to vote in primaries. The lawsuit also cites a similar lawsuit filed by the campaign of Democrat presidential contender Bernie Sanders, which was halted in federal court.
Judge Richard Frye, of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, ruled in favour of the teenagers, stating that Husted abused his discretion. The judge's decision potentially affects thousands of other 17-year-old voters still eager to participate in the primary election.
Alexis Brossart, a 17-year-old student at Milford High School outside Cincinnati, learned that her vote for a presidential nominee would not count due to Husted's interpretation of state law. Rachel Bloomekatz, the attorney for the nine teenagers, stated that the teenagers have become more engaged in the voting process due to the realization that their votes would not count.
Husted, however, has expressed concern that the ruling could give one county court the power to change 30 years of election law for the entire state of Ohio. He argued that last-minute legislating from the bench on election law should stop. Husted also stated that he will appeal the ruling.
The federal court case halted by U.S. District Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Preston Deavers will wait for the state court finding. The attorney for the nine teenagers did not provide a comment on whether the teenagers intend to appeal the ruling if Husted decides to do so.
It is common for teenagers under 18 to be denied the right to vote in presidential primaries across most states, including Ohio. However, this denial has not been successfully challenged in court within Ohio, and most legal challenges related to lowering the voting age have been broader efforts addressing general youth voting rights or focused on local elections rather than federal or state primary presidential contests.
In the Ohio primary, 66 delegates are at stake for the Republicans and 159 for the Democrats. The primary election is currently ongoing. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted modified the state's election manual in December to state that 17-year-olds are allowed only to nominate candidates but are prohibited from voting for presidential delegates.
For those interested in detailed case law or legislation updates in Ohio, further legal research or recent news may be necessary.
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