Ohio system of purging inactive voters not legal: courtCLEVELAND (Reuters) - Ohio’s practice of rescinding voter registrations from people who fail to cast ballots is illegal, a court ruled on Friday, the latest legal decision affecting voting rights ahead of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8.  The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati reversed an earlier ruling by a federal judge in June and could lead to the reinstatement of thousands of voters in the politically crucial swing state of Ohio. “We don’t believe that any voters should be removed from the rolls simply because they haven’t voted in a few elections,” said Mike Brickner, senior policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union, which brought a lawsuit against the practice along with other advocates. Voting rights cases have become pivotal battlegrounds in the lead-up to the hotly contested presidential vote between Democratic party candidate Hillary Clinton and her Republican counterpart Donald Trump.  The ACLU and others have challenged laws in Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina over voting rights issues. On Friday Texas asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a law requiring authorized identification to be presented before a citizen may vote. At issue in the Ohio case is a policy of purging voters who  fail to cast ballots over a six-year period and do not respond to a letter from the state asking if they have moved.         A Reuters analysis showed that at least 144,000 voters had been removed from Ohio’s rolls since the last presidential election. In their lawsuit, the ACLU and other plaintiffs argued that the process violates federal voting rights law, which prohibits removing voters from the rolls simply because they have been inactive. In June, a federal judge disagreed, ruling that an exception in the law protected Ohio’s practice. But the appellate court said on Friday that because the removal process was triggered solely by someone’s failure to vote, it was not legal. The appeals court sent the case back to U.S. District Judge George C. Smith to consider possible remedies, including reinstating all voters removed under the process. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, said the state would appeal if Smith orders all of the purged voters to be reinstated, arguing that would open the state to potential fraud by people impersonating voters who have died or moved away. “This ruling overturns 20 years of Ohio law and practice, which has been carried out by the last four Secretaries of State, both Democrat and Republican,” Husted said.     politicsNews
ohio system purging inactive voters legal courtcleveland reuters ohio practice residing voter registrations people fail cast ballots illegal court ruled friday latest legal decision affecting voting rights ahead presidential election the decision court appeals sixth circuit cincinnati reversed earlier ruling federal judge june could lead reinstatement thousands voters politically crucial swing state ohio we believe voters removed rolls simply voted elections said mike brickner senior policy director american civil liberties union brought lawsuit practice along advocates voting rights cases become pivotal battleground hotly contested presidential vote democratic party candidate hillary clinton republican counterpart donald trump the actu others challenged laws wisconsin michigan north carolina voting rights issues on friday texas asked supreme court reinstate law requiring authorized identification presented citizen may vote at issue ohio case policy purging voters fail cast ballots period respond letter state asking moved a reuters analysis showed least voters removed ohio rolls since last presidential election in lawsuit actu plaintiffs argued process violates federal voting rights law prohibits removing voters rolls simply inactive in june federal judge disagreed ruling exception law protected ohio practice but appellate court said friday removal process triggered solely someone failure vote legal the appeals court sent case back district judge george smith consider possible remedies including reinstating voters removed process ohio secretary state jon hosted republican said state would appeal smith orders purged voters reinstated arguing would open state potential fraud people impersonating voters died moved away this ruling overturn years ohio law practice carried last four secretaries state democrat republican hosted said politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Ohio system of purging inactive voters not legal: courtCLEVELAND (Reuters) - Ohio’s practice of rescinding voter registrations from people who fail to cast ballots is illegal, a court ruled on Friday, the latest legal decision affecting voting rights ahead of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8.  The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati reversed an earlier ruling by a federal judge in June and could lead to the reinstatement of thousands of voters in the politically crucial swing state of Ohio. “We don’t believe that any voters should be removed from the rolls simply because they haven’t voted in a few elections,” said Mike Brickner, senior policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union, which brought a lawsuit against the practice along with other advocates. Voting rights cases have become pivotal battlegrounds in the lead-up to the hotly contested presidential vote between Democratic party candidate Hillary Clinton and her Republican counterpart Donald Trump.  The ACLU and others have challenged laws in Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina over voting rights issues. On Friday Texas asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a law requiring authorized identification to be presented before a citizen may vote. At issue in the Ohio case is a policy of purging voters who  fail to cast ballots over a six-year period and do not respond to a letter from the state asking if they have moved.         A Reuters analysis showed that at least 144,000 voters had been removed from Ohio’s rolls since the last presidential election. In their lawsuit, the ACLU and other plaintiffs argued that the process violates federal voting rights law, which prohibits removing voters from the rolls simply because they have been inactive. In June, a federal judge disagreed, ruling that an exception in the law protected Ohio’s practice. But the appellate court said on Friday that because the removal process was triggered solely by someone’s failure to vote, it was not legal. The appeals court sent the case back to U.S. District Judge George C. Smith to consider possible remedies, including reinstating all voters removed under the process. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, said the state would appeal if Smith orders all of the purged voters to be reinstated, arguing that would open the state to potential fraud by people impersonating voters who have died or moved away. “This ruling overturns 20 years of Ohio law and practice, which has been carried out by the last four Secretaries of State, both Democrat and Republican,” Husted said.     politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: ohio system purging inactive voters legal courtcleveland reuters ohio practice residing voter registrations people fail cast ballots illegal court ruled friday latest legal decision affecting voting rights ahead presidential election the decision court appeals sixth circuit cincinnati reversed earlier ruling federal judge june could lead reinstatement thousands voters politically crucial swing state ohio we believe voters removed rolls simply voted elections said mike brickner senior policy director american civil liberties union brought lawsuit practice along advocates voting rights cases become pivotal battleground hotly contested presidential vote democratic party candidate hillary clinton republican counterpart donald trump the actu others challenged laws wisconsin michigan north carolina voting rights issues on friday texas asked supreme court reinstate law requiring authorized identification presented citizen may vote at issue ohio case policy purging voters fail cast ballots period respond letter state asking moved a reuters analysis showed least voters removed ohio rolls since last presidential election in lawsuit actu plaintiffs argued process violates federal voting rights law prohibits removing voters rolls simply inactive in june federal judge disagreed ruling exception law protected ohio practice but appellate court said friday removal process triggered solely someone failure vote legal the appeals court sent case back district judge george smith consider possible remedies including reinstating voters removed process ohio secretary state jon hosted republican said state would appeal smith orders purged voters reinstated arguing would open state potential fraud people impersonating voters died moved away this ruling overturn years ohio law practice carried last four secretaries state democrat republican hosted said politicsnews