The ACLU of Ohio Foundation will be the central source for voter education at the Puffin Collaborative Film Festival (PCFF) on Sunday OCTOBER 11TH at the Gateway Film Center. www.acluohio.org/publications/aclu-of-ohio–foundation-2015-work-plan As the preeminent defender of voting rights in the state of Ohio, the ACLU will be providing voter education material for people with disabilities. This is area of concern as legislation has been introduced in the Ohio General Assembly that would roll back protections for people with disabilities, including provisions that assist with ballot access. This is important as efforts to curtail early voting puts an undue burden on the disabled who often have a hard time gaining access to transportation. In additional disabled veterans are unduly affected by this legislation. This education drive will also help students to locate and learn about where they have to vote, and how to access early and absentee voting should they be living near their campus in a county that is not the same as their (parental) home address. Information will also be available to the formally incarcerated as in OH, an individual who has been convicted of a felony, and who has served his or her sentence, is still permitted to vote! Unfortunately it has been found that the vast number of formally incarcerated individuals has no knowledge that their right to vote has been preserved. The ACLU will have materials on hand to target this underserved community, which is should be noted is compromised disproportionately of low-income people and people of color.
The PFW grant will also allow the ACLU of Ohio to provide easy-to-understand materials that summarize key Constitutional Rights; these materials will all be available during the film festival and to the festivals partners, thereinafter.
