From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
A judge in Ohio has ruled that some 17-year-olds will be allowed to vote in the state’s presidential primaries on Tuesday. The news is a windfall for Bernie Sanders, whose populist campaign has attracted a far greater share of the youth vote than the Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Clinton.
Franklin County Judge Richard Frye ruled today that teenagers who will turn 18 before the general election in November could vote to pick the presidential nominees in the two primary contests. Brad Deutsch, a lawyer for the Sanders campaign, described the ruling as a “huge victory”.
Frye made his ruling over a lawsuit brought by nine 17-year-old registered voters, in response to a previous order by Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State, John Husted, which excluded them from participating in the primary process.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders battled over immigration at the latest debate
Mr Sanders’ campaign had this week filed a separate suit against the order. The Vermont Senator said it was “an outrage that the secretary of state in Ohio is going out of his way to keep young people — significantly African-American young people, Latino young people — from participating.”
Ohio is a major state on the electoral trail, with 143 Democratic delegates to play for in a winner-takes-all contest. Recent polls give Ms Clinton a double-digit lead, though her campaign will fear a repeat of her narrow defeat in Michigan on Tuesday, for which Mr Sanders overcame a 20-point poll deficit.
The Republican race in Ohio is also a neck-and-neck contest between Donald Trump and the state’s own governor, John Kasich. However, it is unclear which GOP candidate will benefit the most from an influx of 17-year-old voters.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments