DaytonDailyNews.com

XENIA — Hours after Ohio Democratic officials slammed Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer for seeking early voter registration information he withdrew his request for 302 new voter registrations.

In a news release, Fischer cited a Thursday U.S. District Court decision ordering Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to check new registrants who voted early against existing state databases as the reason for backing away from his records request.

Later Friday Brunner filed an emergency appeal of the district court decision.

Candice Hoke, director of the Center for Election Excellence, said state databases are an inherently unreliable way to check registrations. Voters who use different versions of their name or nicknames on registration forms could easily be disqualified.

"Voting rights should be protect by court and not subject to such problems," Hoke said. "It puts and intolerable burden on boards of elections at this point in the election cycle."

On Thursday, Fischer, a Republican, requested registration cards and address change forms for all 302 people who took advantage of early voting, claiming he had been inundated with calls form people concerned about possible fraud.

"I had no idea it would spin this way," was Fischer's only comment besides the news release.

Fischer's request for un-redacted registration forms drew fire from Democrats and voting rights groups which called the action 1960's style voter intimidation and suppression.

"This is an ugly partisan fishing expedition of unprecedented proportions," said Chris Redfern, Ohio Democratic Party. "This is the tip of the spear when it comes to GOP efforts to disenfranchise voters. They are doing so without just cause or shred of evidence."

Redfern and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, both closely involved in Sen. Barack Obama's Ohio campaign, said in a conference call Friday, the sheriff's actions were meant to intimidate new young voters, many of whom are black. Greene County is home to five colleges including the historically black Central State and Wilberforce universities.

"Is this Boss Hog or Bull Connor?" Coleman said, referring to the bumbling 1980s TV sheriff and the 1960s Alabama segregationist. "It's either a joke or pure 21st century in your face voter intimidation."

Democrats also noted the relationship between Greene County Prosecutor Stephen K. Haller and Mike Dewine. The two are former law partners and Dewine is the chair of Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign in Ohio.

In a news release Haller wrote that he had no contact with Dewine or the McCain campaign.

Redfern suggested that Haller and Fischer should have more pressing business and that conducting a "fishing expedition" for voter fraud is not why they were elected. "If they lack the work they were elected to do maybe they should resign," Redfern said.

Contact the reporter at (937) 225-2342 or cmagan@DaytonDailyNews.com