by: Axel Tonconogy, The National Memo

A federal judge has ordered Ohio to restore in-person voting rights on the weekend before election day, in the second major victory for voting rights advocates in two days.

In July, the Obama campaign filed a lawsuit stating that Ohio's new election law "arbitrarily eliminates early voting during the three days prior to Election Day for most Ohio voters, a right previously available to all Ohio voters." The recently enacted law gave preferential treatment to members of the military, who were allowed to vote at a board of elections up through the Monday before Election Day, while civilians had an earlier voting deadline of 6 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day.

The Obama campaign argued that the law was politically motivated and designed to suppress Democratic voters, who are most likely to utilize early-voting options. Additionally, the campaign disputed the legality of instituting unequal voting rights for UOCAVA ("Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voter Act) and non-UOCAVA voters.

In his opinion, Judge Peter C. Economus agreed with the Obama campaign's complaint.

Read More: http://www.nationalmemo.com/ohio-judge-upholds-early-voting-rights-for-all-citizens/