A federal appeals court has reversed a judge's order to restore a week of early voting in Ohio, known as golden week. Local legal experts disagree on the ruling's impact.
Since 2005 golden week has been a one-stop-shop. It allowed Ohioans to register and vote at the same time, for one week.
OSU law professor Ned Foley says golden week was certainly a convenience for voters, but compared to other states, Ohio's 29 days of early voting is still extensive.
"If somebody doesn't vote this year in 2016 it's not because there was a barrier or an obstacles it was because the voter didn't take advantage of the options that are still available," says Foley.
One of Foley's colleague at the Moritz College of Law disagrees. Law Professor Dan Tokaji thinks the decision made earlier this year by the district court, was based on evidence that early voting, like golden week, was vital for democrats and especially minority voters.
"African American voters are especially heavy users of early voting including during the so-called golden week and this change would have a negative effect on them."
Both legal experts can agree that they hope the matter is eventually brought before the Supreme Court.