Ohio reaches settlement over Harkless lawsuit

The Ohio state government agreed to settle a lawsuit over voter-registration procedures for low-income residents.

Originally filed by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, the federal lawsuit began when Carrie Harkless and Tameca Mardis visited welfare offices but were not asked about registering to vote.

Under the agreement, computers used by case workers will have information on voter registration. Employees will also be trained to help low-income residents register to vote. According to the Associated Press, the secretary of state’s office agreed to perform unannounced spot checks of the procedures at local welfare offices and collect voter registration data at the offices.

The Secretary of State also is required to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs programs for homeless veterans as a voter registration agency.

“This case will also have a broad-reaching impact in other states,” said Jon Greenbaum, Legal Director of the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Legal Leader of the Election Protection in a press release. “During the course of the case the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decided in our favor that the state officials were responsible for ensuring NVRA compliance by the county DJFS offices. State officials will no longer have any question - ensuring voters are effectively registered through social service agencies IS their responsibility.”

Read the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s press release here.

Read the full settlement here.