South Ohio News

The Ohio Legislature filed but did not advance legislation focused on reforms to the administration of elections in Ohio in 2021.

Election Transparency Initiative (ETI) Chairman Ken Cuccinelli told the Buckeye Reporter that the Ohio State Legislature needs to pass election reforms in 2022, including a ban on ballot drop boxes and the practice of mass-mailing absentee ballot applications to voters who do not request them, according to a recent report.

“The Ohio Legislature and its governor were unable to come together in 2021 to pass many of the reforms badly needed to ensure secure, transparent, and accountable Ohio elections,” Cuccinelli said, calling the inaction “disappointing” and “unacceptable.”

“It was a profound disservice to so many other states who leaned bravely into the head winds of resistance determined to thwart election integrity,” Cuccinelli said.  "Without delay, we urge the House and Senate to act on legislation to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Ohio elections."

An analysis of the previously filed “Election Security and Modernization Act” (House Bill 294) stated that the legislation would make several changes and reforms to Ohio's election laws. The bill sought to automate the voter registration and verification system through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, as well as modify the process for voter roll maintenance in addition to several other changes and related to voter identification, curbside voting, absentee voting, and election administration. The bill failed to advance out of committee.

House Bill 387 sought to add a picture ID requirement for voting along with reforms to the absentee vote-by-mail process, according to the Ohio Legislature website. The bill also failed to advance from the House Government Oversight Committee.   

Ohio state law allows any absentee ballot postmarked no later than the day before the election to be received up to 10 days after Election Day, a practice the ETI believes should be limited to ballots from military members and overseas citizens from Ohio.

In 2020, nonprofit groups supporting President Joe Biden tried to expand ballot drop box access in key Democrat strongholds, including Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Dayton and Toledo, according to NBC News. The move was opposed by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who said the boxes would not be secure.    

Ohio state law also allows mass-mailing of absentee ballot applications by political groups, while states including Florida, Kentucky and Iowa have banned the practice, Cuccinelli said, according to the Buckeye Reporter.

In 2020, a group calling itself the "Center for Voter Information" mailed completed absentee ballot applications to thousands of Ohioans who did not request them, according to a report by WSYX-TV (ABC). One Columbus voter reported “her roommate received two separate ballot applications, both addressed to his son, who has not lived in the home for seven years.”

State Rep. Jason Stephens did not respond to requests for comment.