Elections officials could no longer send absentee ballot applications to all Franklin County voters, and the time for in-person early voting would be significantly reduced under an elections overhaul bill that passed the House today along party lines.
The sweeping bill, which also would attempt to lessen the need to cast provisional ballots, allows election boards to save money through bulk purchasing, and would let voters update registrations online — a “significant move in the right direction to unify our electoral process in the state of Ohio,” said Rep. Robert Mecklenborg, R-Cincinnati.
Different county election boards should not apply different standards in the election process, Mecklenborg said, noting the disparities cause “lawsuits, uncertainty and a lack of voter confidence in the system.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Kathleen Clyde, D-Kent, summed up the feelings of a number of Democrats: “Let’s call this bill what it really is — voter suppression.”
Full Article: Ohio House passes election reforms | The Columbus Dispatch.