Today, the Ohio Voter Rights Coalition provided in-depth analysis of House Bill 294. During a press conference this morning representatives from The Ohio League of Women Voters, All Voting is Local, the ACLU of Ohio, and the Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP laid out some of the obstacles in the bill and ways the legislation can be improved.
"House Bill 294 is not an accident or a coincidence – this legislation is being duplicated nationwide as part of a larger strategy that ultimately hurts and threatens everything we hold true about participating in a democracy. We can see straight through the 'good' aspects of this bill all the way to the 'bad' and the 'ugly,'' offered Collin Marozzi, Policy Strategist for the ACLU of Ohio.
"While some portions of this bill are encouraging, it will ultimately confuse voters and limit the freedom to vote in Ohio. From reducing drop boxes to adding unnecessary bureaucratic red tape to early and absentee voting, voters can expect long-lines and military members overseas will face more obstacles. Ohio voters deserve better, added Jen Miller, Executive Director of the Ohio League of Women Voters.
"Every eligible Ohioan should be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote, but this bill puts forth voter suppression tactics, and even worse, voter selection tactics. This is the opposite of what Ohioans want or need," added Joe Mallory, President of the Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP.
"What good is it to provide a ticket to the party of democracy but deny access at the door? AVR gives you a ticket to vote, but this bill denies access to the ballot," said Kayla Griffin, Ohio Director for All Voting Is Local.
The OVRC Analysis of House Bill 294 is below.
The Ohio Voter Rights Coalition is Ohio’s premier coalition of nonpartisan voter advocates dedicated to ensuring that our elections are modern, secure and accessible to all Ohioans. For more information, visit ohiovoterrights.org.
