THREAD — An analysis on Ohio’s voter drop box ban that will make you ill:

My friend @BRADLEYWTHOMAS took some time to analyze the devastating impact the one-per-County voter Dropbox ban has on voting.

Look at the attached spreadsheets...

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A single box in Norwood means a voter from Forest Park would ride a @cincinnatimetro bus 112 minutes (one way) (!!) to get to the drop box

73 mins from Price Hill

43 minutes from downtown (library)

70 minutes from Wyoming, Anderson, the West End

72 from Mt. Healthy

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Absurdly long times, right? And for many, the only way they can get to the drop box. Many just won’t do it

Now Brad is a very smart guy, so he also analyzed how times would be impacted if there were ONLY one additional drop box added—at the Main Library in Cincinnati

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Here’s what he found.

Many voters would see their times improved only a little due to how routes run, or none since they are closer to Norwood

But those Forest Park voters? They would save 41 minutes each way

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The Price Hill voters? 51 minutes each way

Downtown voters? Around 40 minutes

West End? 52 minutes

Mt. Healthy? 18 minutes

And so on

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And that’s just from ONE more drop box. Making that big a difference.

Now if you allowed 15 to 20 boxes as we see in other counties (Fulton, Ga. and King, Wa. below), those times would drop dramatically.

For all.

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And that’s why in those states, more than half of voters use voter drop boxes as opposed to the mail to vote. They’re easy & close

But here, one drop box per county will mean for many voters, and especially bus-riding voters, hours of time spent just to get to the drop box

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And naturally, far fewer will take advantage of this safe, easy, free and secure way to vote, even when it presents a perfect solution to our current circumstances: y’know, we’re in a pandemic and the USPS is under attack!

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From one to two boxes in a county, travel times cut for some by 25, 30, 40 or even 50 minutes!

From one box to 12 or 15 or 20, as other states do it, voting far easier for everyone.

This is a no brainer. There is no valid reason to stand against this at time.

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In short, banning drop boxes to only one per county has a devastating effect on voting, esp for those who rely on public transportation.

People will simply vote less.

Adding drop boxes solves a major problem quickly.

Rescind the ban!

END