Glass City Jungle

This in via e-mail from the office of Ohio House Representative and Speaker Pro Tempore, Matt Szollosi:

Rep. Szollosi, Ohio House Pass Comprehensive Election Reform Legislation

Key Changes Focus on Modernizing Elections System and Improving the Voter Registration Process

COLUMBUS – Speaker Pro Tempore Matthew A. Szollosi and the Ohio House of Representatives today passed legislation to enhance Ohio’s election laws and address the specific problems that have occurred in past Ohio elections. House Bill 260, the Elections Enhancement bill, was approved by a vote of 53-45.

“There is nothing more precious in our democracy than the right to vote,” said Rep. Szollosi. “This bill enhances Ohio’s ability to have elections that are fair and accurate, and gives our citizens reason to have confidence in our voting process. Also, the bill extends the time frame within which our military have to vote.”

House Bill 260 was introduced in August after nearly a year of bipartisan collaboration and consensus-building to put forth enhancements in Ohio’s election law that would correct current weaknesses and streamline cumbersome rules and procedures.

The comprehensive legislation makes several significant enhancements such as modernizing and improving opportunities for voter registration, standardizing Ohio’s voter ID laws, reforming provisional balloting, establishing clear rules for challenging a vote, simplifying the absentee voting process while preserving appropriate local flexibility, and providing significant cost-saving measures for local boards of elections. The bill also restores special election dates and creates a Joint Taskforce on Special Elections and Cost Reductions to study special elections consolidation and other innovative cost-saving strategies.

House Bill 260 now goes to the Senate for consideration.

A summary of the reforms contained in the bill is listed below:

Modernizing Ohio Voter Registration

The sub bill further modernizes Ohio’s inefficient and error-prone voter-registration system. Building upon the success of the National Voter Registration Act (the NVRA or “Motor Voter” Act), the sub bill incorporates enhanced methods for voter registration. It creates online voter registration, as well as a streamlined process for registering Ohioans who graduate high school, visit an NVRA-designated agency (such as, the department of health or job and family services) or obtain a driver’s license. These methods achieve more complete and accurate voter rolls at a lower cost.

Standardizing Ohio’s Voter ID Laws

The sub bill changes Ohio’s very confusing law to a simple requirement that would apply to all voters uniformly, whether they vote absentee by mail, absentee in person, or in person on Election Day. Voters would be required either to show government- or school-issued photo identification, or to provide their birth date, signature, and last four digits of their social security or driver’s license number. This places the focus on verifying the identity of the voter.

Improving the Absentee Voting Process

The sub bill further improves the absentee voting process. It standardizes the absentee voting period for both in-person and absentee voting to be 28 days. The sub bill also modifies the vote period, which will now end on Monday at noon before Election Day. Sub. HB 260 improves in-person absentee voting by allowing for local flexibility around operating hours and number of locations. Counties can still have up to four early voting locations. Boards must vote to have additional locations no less than 60 days before an election.

Tackling Provisional Ballot Complications

Ohio has one of the highest provisional voting rates in the country, which increases costs and administrative burden, invites litigation, and results in many uncounted votes. The bill fixes this by creating clear and fair rules for provisional voting. The bill limits the reasons voters must cast a provisional ballot and increases the instances where that ballot will be counted. Additionally, it modifies change-of-name and -address laws to allow those voters to cast regular ballots. The sub bill improves upon these changes by providing voters with notice and the opportunity to correct mistakes on their provisional ballot envelopes. The sub bill maintains the improvements made in the as-introduced version of HB 260.

Prioritizing Individual Voting Rights

Currently, a challenge to a voter’s registration may be upheld by any one election official. Sub HB 260 stipulates that a challenge is upheld only with an affirmative vote from a majority of the election officials present. Additionally, a challenger must be able to establish clear and convincing evidence that an elector’s registration should be canceled. The provision also specifically prohibits challenges based solely on foreclosure lists or other vote-caging sources.

Cutting Costs and Easing Local Burdens

This legislation includes several cost-saving measures such as allowing the use of vote-by-mail for vacancy in office special elections, decreasing administrative burden on local boards with an annual vote-by-mail ballot request form, and limiting state issue ballot language length. The sub bill restores special elections but creates a Joint Taskforce on Special Elections and Cost Reductions to study special elections consolidation and other innovative cost-saving strategies.