Say bill does little to prepare for presidential election amid a pandemic
COLUMBUS—Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) blasted House Republican lawmakers who passed an elections bill that does little to prepare the state’s Boards of Elections to safely conduct a presidential election amid the worst global pandemic in more than a century.
House Bill (HB) 680 shortens the 
time for voters to request absentee ballots, eliminates the ability for the secretary of state to prepay return postage for ballot applications, and bars the Health Director and other officials from affecting the conduct of elections—even at the risk of public health.
“Chaos and confusion marred this year’s primary, and this bill does little to address the serious concerns of voters, poll workers, voting rights advocates, and elections officials from both political parties on how we can conduct a safe, accessible election this November,” Leader Sykes said. “Instead of taking the necessary precautions to prepare us for November, this bill takes us back by making it even harder to vote by mail. We should be making it easier, not harder for Ohioans to exercise their voting rights. We must do better.”
The bill stands in stark contrast to the Democrats’ proposal, HB 687, which would expand online registration, make it easier for Ohioans to vote by mail, and protect safe, accessible in-person voting opportunities amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has already killed more than 2,000 Ohioans.
Democrats offered several amendments on the floor, including:
- Removing the prohibition on officials from affecting the conduct of elections, which would limit the ability of Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton to determine if in-person voting is safe this November, which was sponsored by Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington).
- Allowing the secretary of state to prepay return postage for ballot applications and absentee ballots, sponsored by Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland).
- Removing confusion by allowing ballots to be postmarked by Election Day, rather than the day before Election Day, which was sponsored by Rep. Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati).
- Mailing ballots to every voter for this November’s presidential election, sponsored by Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown).
- Removing language that ends Early Voting at 6 p.m. the Friday before the election, sponsored by Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo).
Republicans rejected each of the Democratic amendments along party lines. HB 680 now moves to the Senate for consideration
