South Ohio News

Last year, the Ohio legislature filed but did not advance legislation focused on reforms to the administration of elections in Ohio.

State Rep. Mark Johnson (R- Chillicothe) did not respond to a South Ohio News request for comment about whether he supports passing similar legislation this year. 

Johnson represents the 92nd  Legislative District of Ohio. He was first elected to the Ohio House of  Representatives in 2020, according to his state bio.  

Election Transparency Initiative Chairman Ken Cuccinelli  told the Buckeye Reporter in a previous interview 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 didn’t request them.

“That 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 wasn’t just disappointing — and downright unacceptable — but 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 told Buckeye Reporter. "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 (HB  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  clarifications related to voter identification, curbside voting, absentee voting and election administration. The bill failed to advance out of committee.

HB 387 sought to add a picture ID requirement for voting  along with reforms to the absentee vote-by-mail process. Likewise this bill 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 Election Transparency Initiative (ETI) believes should be limited to only late-arriving ballots from military members and overseas citizens from Ohio.

According to NBC News, 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. Their move was opposed by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who said the boxes would not be secure.     

Ohio state law also still allows mass-mailing of absentee ballot applications by political groups, while states including Florida, Kentucky and Iowa have banned the practice. In 2020, a group calling  itself the Center for Voter Information mailed filled-out absentee ballot applications to thousands of Ohioans who did not request them, according to 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."