Obama campaign sues election officials

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is suing Ohio's top elections official in a dispute over the battleground state's law that restricts early, in-person voting during the three days before Election Day.

The lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday in Columbus comes after a series of election law changes cleared by the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.

Obama's campaign and Democrats argue the law unfairly ends early, in-person voting for most Ohioans on the Friday evening before the election, while allowing military and overseas voters to cast a ballot in person until Monday.

Prior to the changes, local boards of election could decide whether to let voters cast a ballot in person during those final three days.

About 30 percent of Ohio's total vote came in ahead of Election Day in 2008.