Ohio Enacts Law Requiring All Ballots Be Returned By Election Day
Governor Mike DeWine signed SB 293, a law that requires all Ohio mail-in ballots to be received by the close of polls on Election Day, eliminating the previous four-day grace period. The measure also mandates monthly citizenship verification of registered voters and directs local boards to instantly cancel registrations flagged as possible noncitizens while investigating their status. Republican supporters, including bill co-sponsor Sen. theresa Gavarone, framed the change as necessary to protect election integrity, while DeWine said he reluctantly signed the bill to avoid legal and administrative confusion tied to a similar case now before the U.S. Supreme Court. Election-integrity groups praised the law as a commonsense reform that will speed results and boost public confidence.
In a major win for the integrity of Ohio’s elections, Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation on Friday that requires all mail-in ballots to be received by the end of Election Day.
As described by local media, SB 293 officially “eliminates the current four-day buffer for boards of elections to receive absentee ballots, now requiring all ballots to be delivered by hand or mail by the time the polls close on Election Day.” Including provisions from a separate bill, the measure also requires the Ohio secretary of state to verify all registered voters’ citizenship every month and directs local election boards to cancel the registration of “anyone flagged as a possible noncitizen immediately, then conduct further investigations regarding their citizenship status.”
“Election day is election day for a reason,” bill co-sponsor and Republican state Sen. Theresa Gavarone said. “Allowing ballots to be delivered days after the election does nothing but hurt the integrity and credibility of our elections.”
During a Friday press conference, DeWine — who’s previously voiced reservations about changing Ohio’s election laws — expressed opposition to the new law. He said that he “normally would veto” a bill like SB 293 and “wish[es] [he] could,” but cited ongoing litigation over a Mississippi law with a similar grace period for accepting ballots after Election Day as the reason for his decision to sign the measure into law.
The Mississippi law in question — which was found to be unlawful by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals — is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“If the court in late June upholds the Fifth Circuit case and Ohio’s grace period for counting ballots is still in effect, the election situation in Ohio would be chaotic,” DeWine said. “He added if Ohio’s grace period were struck down that would require counting ballots differently depending on whether candidates are running for federal or state offices,” Statehouse News Bureau described.
“It certainly would confuse voters in state elections. Their absentee ballot could come in within the four days after the election and be counted,” DeWine said. “There simply would not be enough time for the legislature to pass a law to conform to the Supreme Court decision and federal law. Therefore, I reluctantly signed this bill.”
Election integrity activists were quick to applaud the governor’s decision to sign SB 293 into law.
In a statement, Honest Elections Project Action Executive Director Jason Snead congratulated the Buckeye State’s leading officials on “once again improving Ohio elections” and said the bill’s provisions “are popular, commonsense measures that will speed up results, secure elections, and continue to build trust in the democratic process.”
“Once again, Ohio is acting to keep it easy to vote and hard to cheat in the Buckeye State,” Snead said.
For more election news and updates, visit electionbriefing.com.
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