•  Campaign Videos (September 2011) « Obama for America
  

[Music] Woman to voter: Do you know about House Bill 194?

Greg Schultz Ohio State Director, Obama for America: Right now at this time we unfortunately are facing a challenge to one of the most fundamental rights that we have living in a democracy.  House Bill 194 was passed...which severely restricts one's ability to vote and ability to take recourse if your vote was not counted.

Woman to voter: So you haven't heard of it.  Voter: No.

Michael O'Shea former Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor: House Bill 194 will hurt Ohio because it will limit the ability of people to get into the ballot boxes, specifically lessening the amount of time that you can vote prior to election day, requiring forms of ID that a lot of less privileged people don't hacve the resources to obtain, prohibiting the truth to be told to certain voters about where they should be voting.  Scary stuff like that.

Richard P., Signer: People like my parents, who are around 90 years old are going to be feeling like they're under more pressure to do things just right; they'll have less time to vote, and I know that they do not like these efforts at all.

Albert G., Volunteer: Voting is a right, not a privilege, and our democracy is harmed whenever the right to vote is taken away.

O'Shea: Regardless of your political persuasion it will just limit the ability of people to vote, and that's the one great place of total equalityxxone person, one vote.  So I think that our Founding Fathers would cringe if they thought what 194 is all about.

Reida T., Volunteer: This is non-partisan; this is affecting everybody.

Jane Sheats former Chairman Cuyahoga County Board of Elections: The purpose should be for all of usxxDemocrat and Republicanxxgetting the electorate to vote.

Schultz: Luckily in Ohio citizens have what's sometimes known as a citizens' veto.  They actually have an opportunity to have their voices heard after a bill is signed into law.  So in Ohio we have 90 days from the date a law goes into effect to collect a certain number of signatures which will actually stop the law from going into effect until its voted on in the next general election by the people.

Woman: We have to get this on that ballot so that we can vote on it ourselves.

Schultz: There's a high need for people to circulate a petition.

Kimberly H., Volunteer: Without the volunteers, it really doesn't happen.

Woman: Excuse me, are you registered to vote?

Albert G.: You can't be bashful.

Reida T.: We have to get the signatures right now.

Shea: Get involved, get on the Internet, learn about 194 and talk about it with you neighbors and your friends and your co-workers, and by gosh sign the petition so it can at least get on the ballot at the right time.

Woman to voter: Appreciate it.  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Spread the word.

Schultz: By all Ohioans working together to both sign the petition and circulation the petition we're going to be able to collect the needed signatures and stop this law from going into effect.  You can go to BarackObama.com and look for a signing event in your area, but the need to start now is great.  We really must start collecting signatures right now.

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Copyright © 2011 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.