AP Exclusive: Thousands of Ohio absentee applications denied
(World News USA)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Thousands of Ohio voters were held up or stymied in their efforts to get absentee ballots for last year´s general election because of missing or mismatched signatures on their ballot applications, an Associated Press review has found. The signature requirement on such applications is a largely overlooked and spottily tracked step in Ohio´s voting process, which has shifted increasingly to mail-in ballots since early, no-fault absentee voting was instituted in 2005. To supporters, the requirement is a useful form of protection against voter fraud and provides an extra layer of security necessary for absentee balloting. To detractors, it`s a recipe for disenfranchisement...