BREAKING - no more voter registration verifications in Ohio

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted to overturn a federal court ruling ordering Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to provide an adequate system of identifying newly registered voters.

The Ohio Republican Party has asked for an en banc review of the case.

Her reasoning? It's too much work.

"Brunner argued that it would take two to three days to create the necessary computer programs, and that nothing in the Help America Vote Act required her to do what the lower court ordered. A three-judge panel of the appeals court agreed in a split decision.

"With less than a month until the election, and less than two weeks until the beginning of counting absentee ballots, the secretary cannot be required to undertake the extensive reprogramming and other changes to the election mechanics without complete disruption of the electoral process in Ohio," the majority said in its opinion. "The irreparable harm to the voting public caused by the district court's order is equally clear.""

Ohio Republican Party State Chairman Bob Bennett issued the following statement:

"Jennifer Brunner continues to do everything she can to help her candidate. Her efforts to fight transparency and accountability in the voting process are shameful, and her actions to conceal fraudulent activity only serve to cast doubt on the integrity of this election.

Even the courts acknowledge Secretary Brunner failed to provide election administrators with an adequate system of verifying voter registrations. She claims her office has the ability to flag questionable registrations, but she refuses to give that information to county election officials for review. The Secretary of State was asked about this process months ago, and she intentionally stonewalled everyone involved.

Ohioans have good reason to be concerned. A national Democrat activist group publicly admitted this week to engaging in fraudulent voter registration activity right here in Ohio, but rather than holding them accountable Jennifer Brunner is fighting to let their actions go unchecked.

We agree with the dissenting judge in this ruling, who said Brunner's 'lack of concern for the integrity of the elections process is astounding and deeply disturbing.' She has fought to keep absentee ballots from qualified Republican voters; she has fought to keep observers from watching the early voting process; and now she has fought to keep election officials from verifying the identity of newly registered voters. Her legal battles serve only to destroy public confidence.

Remember this quote?

"Well, I tell you what, it helps in Ohio that we've got Democrats in charge of the machines."

- Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama (Columbus Dispatch)