Cincinnati Public Schools Attempt to Manipulate Elections

Boss George Cox

This is one of the most boneheaded displays of obvious vote manipulation I have ever heard about.  Why don't they just bring back the days of Boss Cox and his cronies that bought votes at the local bars.

The Cincinnati Public School System is being sued by Republican candidate for Hamilton County auditor Thomas Brinkman and Chris Finney for trying to manipulate next month's election results.

The School System sent Hughes High students to vote on school time last week.  Upon arriving at the Hamilton County Board of Elections, the students were handed a sample ballot that listed only Democrat candidates.

Mark Stepaniak, an attorney representing CPS, admits students were taken on school time in donated church vans to vote last week and were given sample ballots listing only Democrat candidates.

But the ballots were not handed out by a school employee. They were handed out, Stepaniak said, by Gwen Robinson, a former Cincinnati School principal. "We don't admit any mistakes," Stepaniak said. "We don't believe we violated the law."

If they did, Finney countered, "they'd have to pay Finney and Brinkmans attorney fees of at least $10,000 in the case."

"They don't want to pay fees so they deny they did anything wrong," Finney said. "That's why we have judges."

The School System and Mr. Finney agree they want students that are age 18 or older to vote and that partisan politics should not be a school activity. Stepaniak stated, "They shouldn't be electioneering for one party."

The school system must respond by days end or suit will be filed.