On Election Day, the polling places here open at 6:30 in the morning. Last year, aware that everyone was predicting a record turnout, I went early, arriving at 6:45. There were long lines. The conventional wisdom was that a large turnout would benefit John Kerry. I was happy to see long lines. I was happy to see the lines were even longer when I was done voting.

I waited patiently for about fifty minutes. I overheard a couple of the poll workers talking. One of them wondered why there were fewer voting machines for this record-turnout election than there had been for the previous off-year election. The other said it was probably because the turnout had been so low at the previous election.

At that point, listening in on their conversation, I probably nodded my head. That explanation seemed to make sense. I wasn’t capable of believing what was really happening all across Ohio.

As Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell was responsible for running the election in Ohio. He was also the Ohio chairman of George W. Bush’s election campaign, a job that trumped his obligation to honest democracy for Ohio voters. He presided over a massive voter-suppression effort for the Bush campaign. Long lines at my precinct, which leans toward Democratic candidates, were only a tiny part of his efforts to undermine democracy.

Lines grew longer all day long at Democratic-leaning polling places. Long lines of voters stood in the cold rain outside some polling places until midnight and beyond. When someone suggested using paper ballots for some voters to speed up the lines, Blackwell said voters who didn't want to wait should just go home.

Well, tomorrow is Election Day again. There are four voter initiatives on the ballot to try to seize power back from the anti-democracy schemers. Of particular interest to me is Issue 5, which “places a bi-partisan Board of Supervisors in charge of Ohio’s elections, instead of a partisan official who backs candidates and takes sides in elections.” Other issues restrict campaign financing, allow Ohioans to vote by mail, and take control of legislative redistricting out of the hands of gerrymandering politicians.

I’m sure Ken Blackwell will be working hard again tomorrow to defeat the will of the voters, if they disagree with him. If I get my way, it will be the last time he’ll have a chance to do that.