GOP to Brunner: let observers into polls

Rudy Giuliani, Kevin DeWine and Jim Petro take on Jennifer Brunner.: Politicker PhotoLEWIS CENTER - With one win and one loss in the courts against the Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, Republicans are fighting a new legal and publicity battle against Brunner over letting election observers into polling places.

The last two Republican attorney generals, deputy party chair Kevin DeWine and Rudy Giuliani held a press conference Saturday at the Victory campaign's grassroots leadership conference to argue to the public that Brunner is wrong to prohibit election observers into polling sites. The Ohio Supreme Court is currently reviewing this argument after a Republican sued Brunner over the issue on Friday.

Brunner argues that state law doesn't authorize election observers at in-person absentee voting locations. The law, Brunner said in a press release, allows observers to be permitted on Election Day, during the processing and counting of absentee ballots, during the processing of provisional ballots, during the official canvass and during recounts.

"In this instance, I am not philosophically opposed to observers during in-person absentee voting, but the legislature simply has not given me the authority to require that action," Brunner said.

Former attorney general Betty Montgomery said that there's no real difference between the early voting period and voting on Election Day.

"That place where the votes are being cast today is the functional equivalent of every one of those other articulated places where poll observers have been permitted," she said.

DeWine said the GOP's fight is to provide for a fair and open election that the public can observer.

"Letting the public in is a measure aimed at improving voters' confidence," he said. "Letting voters in and letting observers in to watch this process is aimed to letting sunshine in on a process that is the very bedrock foundation of the democracy that we all hold so dear."

Giuliani said Brunner and Democrats' refusal to allow observers in raises suspicions about what's happening at polling locations.

"I can't imagine why you would keep them out," he said. "The only thing I can wonder is what it is you think you're going to be doing if you don't' want people to see. That's the only reason you would keep poll watchers out, keep observers out, unless you had some plan to do something...."

However, Brunner said that bipartisan poll workers can observe every part of the voting process at the polls.