Jennifer Brunner (D)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline)--The Ohio Supreme Court today upheld a weeklong window during which new voters can register and cast an absentee ballot on the same day. In a 4-3 ruling, the high court handed Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner her second court victory of the day on the matter. Earlier in the day, U.S. District Judge James Gwin in Cleveland upheld the weeklong voting period. Both Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign and the Republican National Committee supported Brunner's interpretation of Ohio's voter registration law. Still, Republican-backed lawsuits were filed last week against Brunner's interpretation that voters needn't be registered for at least 30 days before being permitted to cast an absentee ballot. Brunner has instructed state election officials to segregate the ballots cast by those registered on the same day to verify the registration information before those votes are counted on Nov. 4. The early voting period begins Tuesday and runs through Oct. 6.