Juveniles in the Justice System Could Decide the Election

It's election day, and there's a lot of talk about long lines, along with a few reports of electronic voting machine glitches and questions about provisional ballots. In fact, Ohio's broad use of provisional ballots could prove pivotal, according to a New York Times article last week.
If this turns out to be the case, youth in the Ohio justice system could end up casting the deciding vote.
Twenty-one youth in the Mohican Juvenile Correctional Facility in Ashland County, Ohio (all 18 or older) have been barred from voting by the county's Board of Elections, on the grounds that they aren't county residents. The Ohio Justice and Policy Center (OJPC) has filed an appeal in federal court to allow the youth to use provisional ballots to vote, until the appeal can be decided.  (The OJPC registered 300 young voters statewide, but Ashland County was the source of the only challenge.)

  • Anyone out there aware of other states where youth advocates have made a special effort to get youth offenders registered? If so, have there been any challenges? 

Updated: November 04 2008