The bill would align Ohio’s election laws with the 34 other states that require mailed ballots to be received before or on election day. Meanwhile, 16 states – including California, Illinois, New York, Oregon, and Washington – still allow absentee ballots to arrive after election day, a practice that prolongs the vote counting process and increases the potential for delays and errors. The goal is to put this law in place now, well ahead of next year’s election, so that the Secretary of State and Ohio’s eighty-eight county board of elections have time to prepare, advertise, and administer the change, ensuring the public is aware.
This bill now heads to the Governor for his signature.
