Saturday, October 30, 2004
Nader's name is on the ballot, but you can't cast vote for him
By Reid Forgrave
Enquirer staff writer
Residents in Clermont and Warren counties will see Ralph Nader's name on their ballots Tuesday.
They'll also see a notice telling them not to vote for the independent candidate.
It's one more twist in the presidential race in this hotly contested swing state. The two counties' ballots were in the midst of being printed when Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell declared Nader is not a valid candidate because of problems with his petition drives to get on the ballot.
In Hamilton and Butler counties, Nader's name is not on Tuesday's ballots.
But in Clermont and Warren counties, as well as some other counties across Ohio, notices will be posted at precincts and at individual polling stations instructing voters not to vote for Nader.
"It's going to be impossible not to see it," said Danny Bare, director of the Clermont County Board of Elections. "It's on the most hideous, awful paper we could find. It's right there in your face: 'Don't waste your vote.' "
When Blackwell gave his directive in September, he instructed county elections officials to choose one of three ways to be sure voters do not select Nader:
• Reprint ballots without Nader.
• Cross out or put a sticker over Nader's name.
• Post a notice at each precinct stating votes for Nader will not be counted if a board of elections determines it's not feasible to remove Nader's name. The 8 1/2-by-11-inch notice will be posted, on glaring yellow pieces of paper, at every voting location and inside every voting booth in Clermont County.
Tim Rudd, chair of the Clermont County Republican Party and a member of the county board of elections, said elections officials didn't have time to black out Nader's name on every ballot.
"Right now workers are working 12-, 14-, 16-hour days processing absentee ballots," Rudd said. "We don't have the manpower to spare to blacken the names out."
The notice saying Nader votes won't be counted was sent along with absentee ballots. Butler and Warren counties sent out similar notices with absentee ballots. On Hamilton County absentee ballots, Nader's name was blacked out.
The situation brings unease among some political leaders, especially Democrats, who consider any vote for Nader, valid or invalid, to be a vote taken away from Sen. John Kerry.
"At this point, there's not much that can be accomplished by complaining now," said Dave Lane, chair of the Clermont County Democratic Party.
"Hopefully there won't be any concerns. But who knows? It just creates the environment perfect for chaos to run wild."
Gene Beaupre, a political science professor at Xavier University, doubts accidental Nader voters - or Nader supporters voting for him as protest - will significantly affect Ohio results.
"I suspect there still may be a small minority who still vote for Nader if they have an opportunity, but more as a vote of protest than anything else," Beaupre said.
"But that's so speculative, because those people might not even show up at the polls now."
The Blackwell directive, issued Sept. 29, told boards of elections to remove Nader's name from the ballot "to the extent practicable in the time remaining before the election."
A rush job to reprint the ballots would have cost Clermont County an estimated $30,000, Bare said.
They chose to leave Nader's name on the ballot, fearing a federal judge might overturn Blackwell's directive.
"One thing you can't do, you can't put his name back on the ballot," Rudd said. "So local boards of elections were caught in a catch-22."
Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined Nader's request to be put back on the ballot in Ohio.
"It's all the same end result - our votes aren't counted," said Kevin Zeese, a Nader campaign spokesman.
"It was totally a rip-off of democracy, and a shame for the state of Ohio."
Democratic chairman Lane fears posting signs might not be enough.
"There are signs near my office that say, 'No turn on red,' but people don't pay much attention to those signs," Lane said.
"I just hope people make themselves aware of the situation."
What if you vote for Nader?
A vote for Ralph Nader in Ohio will not be counted. A Nader vote does not nullify the entire ballot, just the presidential vote.
In the off-chance that someone votes for both Nader and another candidate, Bush or Kerry, the vote will count for whichever other candidate was selected, Bush or Kerry.
And if a voter chooses all three candidates - Danny Bare, director of the Clermont County Board of Elections, says he doesn't count out any of these possibilities - the vote will not count for anyone.
