Ohio Voter Rights Coalition Condemns Passage of Senate Bill 293; Urges Governor to Veto

COLUMBUS, OH — On November 19, Ohio lawmakers passed Senate Bill 293, anti-voter legislation that would, at its core, needlessly eliminate the post-election window for accepted mailed ballots. The bill also contains a grab bag of unfunded and unnecessary provisions, including citizenship verification and data checks that will drastically increase the number of provisional ballots, and places an additional heavy burden on elections officials.

Hundreds of thousands of Ohio voters rely on vote-by-mail, especially rural voters, voters with disabilities or mobility issues, elderly voters, and voters with limited transportation. If enacted, SB 293 would require that valid voted ballots postmarked before Election Day be set aside uncounted simply because of delays in the U.S. Postal Service.

This is the latest bill that would create barriers for eligible Ohio voters to cast a ballot and have their ballot be counted, while piling new unfunded mandates on our already strained Boards of Elections—all under the false pretense of security. Ohio’s elections are incredibly safe and accurate, as our Secretary of State often touts. The Ohio Voter Rights Coalition (OVRC) believes that it is elected officials’ duty to ensure eligible voters can cast their ballots, and that SB 293 serves only as the antithesis of that responsibility. As the bill now moves to his desk, OVRC urges Governor DeWine to veto this anti-democratic bill immediately, stand by his word, and reaffirm his commitment to Ohio voters.

Background
Introduced on October 14, SB 293 was rushed deceitfully through the committee process without even once hearing testimony from election experts who were busy running an election. Additionally, on the day before the bill passed, legislators added an amendment that took the bill from 8 to 67 pages.

In 2023, Governor DeWine signed another drastic voter suppression bill into law. At the time, he said Ohio’s elections were already good and didn’t need more changes, stating, "I believe with the enactment of the new election integrity provisions in House Bill 458, this matter should be settled, and I do not expect to see any further statutory changes to Ohio voting procedures while I am Governor." OVRC reminds the Governor of his statement and calls on him to veto this bill that would drastically change our election system.

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The Ohio Voter Rights Coalition is a non-partisan network of local, state, and national voter advocates dedicated to ensuring that all elections are modern, secure, and accessible to all Ohioans. The Ohio Voter Rights Coalition Steering Committee includes Ohio Voice, League of Women Voters of Ohio, Common Cause Ohio, All Voting is Local Action Ohio, and the ACLU of Ohio. For more information, visit ohiovoterrights.org.