Innovation Ohio

What you need to know about Ohio Politics and Policy

How to Spread Accurate Voting Information

Overview:

As the 2024 Presidential Election heats up it is important that Innovation Ohio staff remind volunteers and supporters of Ohio’s voting rules. This document will guide staff to ensure voters are made aware of important deadlines, identification requirements, and resources to cast an informed ballot. 

Messaging Guidance: 

When spreading voting information we want to also convey that the election is expected to be high turnout and a sense of urgency. We want to avoid mentioning candidates and issues when trying to convince someone to vote this year. First-time and low propensity voters should be reminded that who they vote for is secret but whether they voted is public record. 

Say This: “Don’t let your neighbors show you up and voting deadlines pass you by, make sure your voter registration is up to date by Tuesday, October 7th so that you can cast your vote for President on November 5th”

Say This: This is the most important election of our lifetime and Ohio recently updated their voter ID requirements. Make sure you have your unexpired driver’s license, state ID, or passport handy before going to your polling place. 

Important Dates

EventDate
Request an Absentee Ballot by MailMarch 20 – October 29
Voter Registration DeadlineTuesday, October 7th
Early Voting Begins (in-person/mail)Wednesday, October 8th
Deadline to Request an Absentee Ballot by MailTuesday, October 29th @ 8:30PM
Post-marked deadline for absentee ballotsMonday, November 4th

Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Recommendations

  • Identify Who to Contact
    • Focus on Supporters: Prioritize supporters and target broadly. Contact voters with a wide range of vote propensity scores, including those with lower scores.
  • Provide Voting Information: Clearly communicate dates, deadlines, polling locations, and ID requirements.
  • Use Multiple Modes of Contact: Direct message, social post, email, phone call, and text

Ohio Voter ID Information

Thanks to gerrymandering, 8 in 10 Ohioans live in uncompetitive legislative districts

The revelation hit us like a thunderbolt: gerrymandering in Ohio wasn’t just bad – it was downright egregious. The recent findings from the Brennan Center for Justice painted a stark picture: a staggering 8 in 10 Ohioans reside in uncompetitive districts, effectively handing over power to politicians on a silver platter while dealing a crushing blow to the very essence of democracy.

Consider this: over 2 million eligible to vote Ohioans remain unregistered. It’s a stark reminder that our government is failing to reflect the diverse voices and perspectives of Ohioans. And to add insult to injury, partisan gerrymandering only exacerbates the problem, further entrenching the status quo.  

Politicians drawing themselves favorable gerrymandered districts has been a consistent detriment to our democratic process. As a result, the Ohio Statehouse has become stained by corruption and extremism, making it impossible to know what power-grab or overreach they’ll attempt next.  

This year, Ohioans will have the chance to remove politicians from the redistricting process by putting citizens back in the driver’s seat and level the playing field. This ballot measure creates an independent process, led by retired judges, to put citizens, not politicians, in charge of how voting districts are drawn. Any eligible Ohio citizen can apply to be on the commission, but politicians and lobbyists are banned. An open and transparent process to create voting districts that are fair and impartial is just common sense.

This proposal would end gerrymandering by empowering citizens, not politicians, to draw fair districts using an open and transparent process. That is why we are supporting the Citizens Not Politicians constitutional amendment this November and hope you will join us!

Nick Tuell
Senior Communications Director

President/CEO Desiree Tims issues statement on news of incoming voter purge

That’s right. The Associated Press announced that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is gearing up to do another purge of Ohio voter registrations ahead of the crucial 2024 Presidential Election. Since taking office, Secretary LaRose has purged hundreds of thousands of registrations, shrinking the size of our state’s voter rolls to smaller than Michigan’s. 

Last year, Innovation Ohio Education Fund released our Ohio’s Missing Voters report, where we announced that there are over 2 million Ohioans who are eligible to vote but are not on the voter rolls. Another 700,000 Ohioans are registered but are in danger of being purged because they have not voted in a recent election. As a result, Ohio’s government is not as representative of its people as it could be.
In our Ohio’s Missing Voters – Part 2 report, we compared voter turnout and voting policies in midwestern battleground states: Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. Looking at the last three federal General Elections, we found that Ohio consistently ranks at the bottom in voter turnout and provides the least voter-friendly policies.

The key takeaway from our findings is clear: Ohio can and should be better. In our report we’ve identified some policy changes that may increase Ohio’s voter participation: increasing voter registration rates and improving the convenience of voting. However, new legislation (HB472) from Ohio republicans further attacks our voting rights by increasing hurdles to register and cast a ballot. Policies like these will only enhance Ohio’s Missing Voters problem. 

Ohio has always played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s political direction, and it is our responsibility to ensure that every eligible citizen’s voice is heard in our democratic process. Instead of deleting voter registration, we should be implementing proven policies to increase voter participation.

Desiree Tims
President/CEO
Innovation Ohio 

REPORT: A Justice Agenda – Ohio’s Missing Voters Part 2

By Terra Goodnight, Director of Research and Lily Furgeson, Communications and Research Associate

Innovation Ohio Education Fund (IOEF) announces the release of a part two sequel to the Ohio’s Missing Voters report. In the previous report, Innovation Ohio Education Fund announced that Ohio is home to 2M eligible to vote residents that are not registered and 700k inactive voters that are in danger of being purged. Recognizing that Ohio’s electorate is not as representative of its people as it could be. 

In this report, our objective was to gain deeper insights into whether Ohio’s laws are worsening Ohio’s Missing Voters’ problem and how other states and their laws may offer a solution. Ohio has always played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s political direction, and it is our responsibility to ensure that every eligible citizen’s voice is heard in our democratic process. We compared voter turnout and voting policies in midwestern battleground states: Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. Looking at the last three federal General Elections, we found that Ohio consistently ranks at the bottom in voter turnout and provides the least voter-friendly policies. 

Ohios-Missing-Voters-Part-2Download

REPORT: A Justice Agenda – Ohio’s Missing Voters

Innovation Ohio Education Fund (IOEF) presented another installment to our 2023 project, A Justice Agenda: “Ohio’s Missing Voters”. For this report, IOEF undertook a comprehensive analysis of publicly-maintained and commercial voter lists within the Ohio voter file. Our objective was to gain deeper insights into the population of unregistered and inactive voters across our great state. Leveraging data sources from Catalist, the US Census, and the Ohio Secretary of State, this report seeks to estimate both the size and characteristics of significant groups. Our focus, as outlined in this report, will be on the geographical distribution of these voters, their demographic composition, and provide potential recommendations. This report was made possible by the dedicated staff at the Innovation Ohio Education Fund.

A-Justice-Agenda-Ohios-Missing-Voters-1Download

Defend the right to vote in Ohio. Stop HB 458

Ohioans across the political spectrum agree: every eligible citizen should be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

House Bill 458 is the opposite of what Ohioans want.

If HB 458 becomes law:

  • Voters will lose access to drop boxes. Boards of Election will be limited to a single drop box location, which is open during business hours only, and can only be used during the early voting period.
  • Voters will lose the freedom to register to vote and/or vote with an alternate form of ID, such as a utility bill, government document, or paycheck.
  • Most voters will lose the freedom to vote provisionally with the last four digits of their social security number.
  • Voters will be punished by slow mail delivery. Absentee ballots will be thrown out if they are not received by the end of Election Day. This even applies to overseas and military voters.
  • Voters will be forced to provide a strict photo ID to vote, whether voting by absentee ballot, or in person on Election Day, or provisionally.
  • Most August special elections will be eliminated, which harms our local school districts.

This bill is a clear and direct attack on millions of people’s voting rights. 


HB 458 is destructive and completely unnecessary. A solution looking for a problem. It only hurts Ohioans’ ability to participate in their democracy.

Elected officials should be making voting easier for all eligible voters, not harder.

Help stop this devastating bill. Contact these state officials. Remind them Ohio is watching.

Problems with Sub HB 294 — Ohio’s Anti-Voter Bill

Sub HB 294, legislation currently on the fast track to pass during the post-election “lame duck” legislature, represents a direct attack on Ohioans’ voting rights.

Sub HB294 restricts access to the ballot in several key ways:

  • Cuts time for requesting and returning mail-in ballots.
  • Eliminates the final day of early voting. The final Monday is one of the busiest days of early voting.
  • Restricts the availability and locations of ballot dropboxes
  • Changes ID requirements on absentee form making it 3-tiered and more confusing.
  • Prohibits government agencies from pre-paying the postage on ballots and ballot request forms, even for overseas military voters.
  • Creates a new online absentee ballot request system that’s more restrictive than the paper form, adding two mandatory forms of identification.
  • And, if bill supporters’ claims are true, the bill will be amended tomorrow to include a strict photo ID requirement for in-person voting, something that will disenfranchise tens of thousands of mostly younger, minority and older voters.

Most Ohioans believe that every eligible person should be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote, have equal access to the voting process and should be able to trust the integrity of our elections. Ohioans across the political spectrum overwhelmingly support policies that help everyone exercise their right to vote, including:

  • Prepaid postage on absentee ballots and ballot requests
  • Secure ballot drop boxes available throughout each county
  • Multiple early vote centers
  • Mailing all eligible voters an absentee ballot application

Sub HB294 does the opposite and makes voting more unequal and less accessible for many voters. It’s worse than voter suppression; it’s voter selection. This bill makes voting harder for specific groups of Ohioans, including younger and older voters, Black and brown voters and those with limited income.

What Sub HB 294 Does:

  • Cuts early voting hours, removing the last Monday of early voting, one of the busiest voting days.
  • Severely limits the use of ballot drop boxes
  • Limits access to absentee ballots
  • Forces most Ohioans to pay for postage on absentee ballots / ballot request forms. Even military voters.
  • Changes ID requirements on absentee ballot forms, making them three-tiered and more confusing.
  • Makes it much easier to vote in some small counties than in major urban areas by failing to address current proportionality issues (and actually writing some of the issues into law).
    • There would be the same number of drop boxes and early voting locations for a county of 8,000 vs a county of 800,000.
  • Even the pieces of this bill that seem to expand voting options are actually problematic.
    • Example: HB 294 adds an online ballot request option….with such a strict ID requirement that most college students can’t even use it.
  • HB 294 will institute discriminatory barriers that make it harder for certain Ohioans to vote. The bill will disproportionately impact Military personnel, low-income residents, Black and brown Ohioans, College students, people with disabilities, people who are house-insecure, Rural residents and older voters.
  • HB 294 punishes Ohioans for being poor. Don’t have a car? Can’t afford postage? Don’t have two forms of ID? Change addresses frequently? HB294 makes it much harder for you to vote

TAKE ACTION. Tell these lawmakers to kill Sub HB 294.

MORE INFORMATION

DONATE to help Innovation Ohio fight this attack on your constitutional rights.

Support People over Politicians — Stop Ohio HJR 6

For over 100 years, Ohioans have had the right to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures, place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, and pass it into law. That’s the power of the people.

But now, two Ohio politicians are trying to take this right away.

While you and your family prepare for the holidays, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and State Rep Brian Stewart are trying to pass HJR 6.

Under HJR 6, Ohioans who gather signatures and place an amendment on the ballot would need to win a supermajority (60%) of statewide votes for their amendment to become law.

That means just 41% of voters could block what the majority of voters want. Ohio would be run by minority rule.

We believe the people of Ohio should have the final say, not lobbyists and politicians. If you agree, take action to help stop this attack on your freedoms.

1.) Testify in-person against HJR 6. Click here for info on how to testify in-person.

2.) Submit written-only testimony against HJR 6. Click here for info on how to submit written-only testimony.

3.) Tell these officials to respect your right to pass citizen-led ballot initiatives. DO NOT LET HJR 6 pass:

  • Email key Ohio legislators
  • Call House Government Oversight Committee Chair Shane Wilkin: 614-466-3506
  • Call House Speaker Bob Cupp: 614-466-9624
  • Call Senate President Matt Huffman: 614-466-7584

Every action you take helps defend Ohioans’ freedoms.

Innovation Ohio Condemns LaRose Effort to Weaken Ohioans’ Right to Citizen-Led Ballot Initiatives

COLUMBUS — Today, Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio, released the following statement in vehement opposition to Secretary of State LaRose and Representative Stewart’s proposed change to Ohio’s Constitution, which would destroy majority rule for citizen-led ballot measures and weaken the power of Ohio citizens:

“When a majority of Ohioans speak, politicians and lobbyists should listen. But Frank LaRose, the man who controls Ohio’s elections, has announced his intention to significantly weaken Ohio voters’ power at the ballot box.

“We have a fundamental, constitutional right to majority rule in our elections. Columbus politicians didn’t like it when Ohio voters of all parties used ballot measures to create term limits, prevent gerrymandering, or challenge federal encroachment on our individual healthcare freedoms. 

“Now, instead of a majority of Ohio voters deciding what’s best for our state, this ridiculous proposed alteration to our constitution would allow just 41% of voters to block what the majority wants.

“In Ohio, the people should rule, not lobbyists and politicians.” 

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