DeWine continues to hold bill that eliminates mail-in ballot grace period

(The Center Square) – Voter groups continue to hope for their last chance to stop changes to Ohio law they call harmful and unnecessary.

After passage in the General Assembly last week, Gov. Mike DeWine has yet to make a decision on Senate Bill 293. The legislation eliminates a four-day grace period for mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day and creates new guidelines for election workers regarding registrations.

SB293 spent less than a week from introduction to passage in the General Assembly, and it includes a provision that requires the secretary of state to do monthly checks of the voter registration database.

DeWine has not indicated whether he will sign the bill.

The changes came after the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, saying the state’s grace period conflicted with a President Donald Trump executive order that said all votes in federal elections must be received by Election Day.

The letter also said Ohio’s law could result in lawsuits, leading to the swift action by the Republican majority General Assembly.

The Ohio Voter Rights Coalition believes the bill creates barriers for Ohio voters.

The coalition, which consists of Ohio Voice, League of Women Voters Ohio, Common Cause Ohio, All Voting is Local Action Ohio and the ACLU of Ohio, wants DeWine to veto the bill.

“Senate Bill 293 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,” the coalition said in a statement to TCS. “Ohio’s elections are incredibly safe and accurate, as our secretary of state often touts. We believe that it is elected officials’ duty to ensure eligible voters can cast their ballots, and that SB293 serves only as the antithesis of that responsibility. As the bill now moves to his desk, we strongly urge Gov. DeWine to veto this anti-democratic bill immediately, stand by his word, and reaffirm his commitment to Ohio voters.”