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HJR6 – Ohio’s Latest Anti-Voter Proposal Would Make It Harder To Pass Ballot Amendments

A new fast-moving proposal at the Statehouse would create a huge new barrier for Ohioans to amend the constitution when Government leaders fail to enact the people’s wishes.

HJR6 Would Make It Harder To Amend Ohio's Constitution

What is HJR6?

House Joint Resolution 6 (HJR6) would make it significantly harder to pass citizen-initiated constitutional amendments by increasing the number of votes a proposal must get. Today a proposed ballot amendment needs a simple 50% majority, but under HJR6 that would change to 60%.

Since 1912, Ohio has had a initiative process in place through which citizens can propose constitutional amendments by collecting signatures of eligible voters, and, if they are supported by a majority ofvoters, they become part of the state constitution. HJR6 would radically disrupt that, silencing the voices of all but the most well-funded special interests, significantly undermining possible future efforts to amend Ohio’s constitution to protect workers’ rights, abortion rights, voting rights and other priorities ignored by elected officials. Over 140 organizations have signed a letter opposing its passage.

What happens next?

The bill in on the fast-track, as evidenced by its rapid-fire introduction, committee assignment, hearing schedule and amendments. The first opportunity for public testimony is scheduled for today, with the bill set to be voted out of committee first thing tomorrow:

House Government Oversight Committee (member list)
– 3pm Wednesday, December 7 (all testimony) – Statehouse Room 121, webcast
– 9am Thursday, December 8 (“10 proponent & 10 opponent witnesses only” and possible vote) – Statehouse Room 121, webcast

If passed by three-fifths of the legislature, the proposal will appear on a May 2, 2023 special election ballot. It is not subject to a veto of the Governor. If supported by voters, it would take effect 30 days after the election.

What You Can Do

With only two weeks left in the Lame Duck session (after which HJR6 and all other pending bills become void if not enacted), there is simply not enough time to properly consider such a radical departure from citizen democracy. We encourage voters to contact their lawmaker or testify in committee against HJR6.

Take Action: Tell Your Lawmaker To Oppose HJR6

Our Right to Vote is Under Attack — Statement from Desiree Tims

Most Ohioans believe every eligible person should be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Our laws should help everyone participate in the process.

But Ohio’s Republican supermajority just introduced a bill to do the opposite.

HB 294 is worse than voter suppression. It’s voter selection. It would let Ohio’s Republican supermajority decide who gets to vote, and who doesn’t.

This bill would:

  • Cut early voting hours
  • Severely limit ballot drop boxes
  • Limit access to absentee ballots
  • Force most Ohioans to pay for postage on absentee ballots and ballot request forms
  • Make it 100x easier to vote in some small counties than in major urban areas

They’re trying to choose which of us can vote. Plain and simple. We cannot let them succeed.

Tell House Speaker Bob Cupp to kill HB 294. Tell him Ohio is watching.

It will take all of us together to stop this attack on our freedoms.

In Solidarity,
Desiree Tims
President & CEO
Innovation Ohio

Voting Advocates Release Letter to Secretary LaRose Laying Out Steps He Can Immediately Take For Safe and Accessible Election

Voting rights advocates call on Sec. LaRose to use his authority to ensure Ohio’s election in November is safe, secure, and accessible for all voters.

Columbus, OH – Today, voting advocates representing a diverse intersection of voters across Ohio gathered to release a letter to Secretary of State Frank LaRose laying out four policies he can immediately and unilaterally enact to make November’s election safe and accessible during the COVID-19 crisis. 

“I do not hear from our leaders that all of our votes matter. I am here to say we will not allow this to happen. We must raise our voices to Secretary LaRose and demand he takes action,” said Rev. Chris Attaway of Tabernacle Church in Cleveland. 

The letter is online here and is signed by more than a dozen organizations. It lays out four policies that Secretary LaRose has the authority to enact immediately:

  1. Prepay postage on absentee ballots and applications.
  2. Create a statewide online absentee request form and phone number. 
  3. Encourage county boards of elections to offer multiple dropboxes.
  4. Issue a directive to limit polling place consolidation.


“It is clear that Ohioans cannot rely on their state legislature to pass needed election reforms to make sure we have a safe, secure, and accessible general election. Fortunately, Secretary of State Frank LaRose has existing legal authorities to implement policies that will significantly ease voters’ burden of safely casting a ballot during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said ACLU of Ohio Policy Strategist Collin Marozzi. “There is a leadership void in our state, and we are calling on Secretary LaRose to use the powers of his office to reaffirm the fundamental right of Ohio voters to make their voice heard.” 

A recording of the press call is online here. (Passcode: 1P&Yd=8U)

The letter and advocacy efforts come in response to massive problems during the Ohio primary election this spring. 

Rev. Brian Cash of East Mount Zion Baptist Church in Cleveland expressed concern that older members of his congregation would be unable to navigate the confusing absentee system. “We must push Secretary of State LaRose to send prepaid postage to ensure that all of our community members are able to participate in this year’s election,” he said. 

Kalesha Scott, a recent Central State University graduate and Ohio Student Association organizer, said: “Many students were unable to vote because of issues with the absentee ballot system, including myself. These four steps that Secretary LaRose can and should take would greatly help college students and young people making their voices heard.” 

“While some voters were able to navigate the system during the primary, countless other Ohioans were unable to cast their ballots,” said Petee Talley of the Unity Coalition and Black Trade Unionists. “The General Assembly has had plenty of time to make our election safe and accessible, but has failed to do so. Time has run out. So we are calling on Secretary of State LaRose to do the right thing, and exercise his authority to take these steps.”

The letter is available online at:
http://innovationohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/LaRose-Letter-Aug-4.pdf

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Ohio Senate May Vote On Harmful Elections Bill, HB 680

Send your Senator a letter urging them to amend H.B. 680

At The Statehouse: Senate May Vote TOMORROW On Harmful Elections Bill 

After a quiet month of summer break, the Ohio Senate returns for a day of committee hearings and floor votes tomorrow, and, at the top of their agenda, is HB 680, an election bill that makes it harder to vote early, in-person, and by mail, and does nothing to improve the safety or accessibility of voting in November. The bill was passed by the Ohio House last month on a party-line vote. Tomorrow the Senate will get its turn.

House Bill 680, as passed by the House, would:

  • Require Ohioans to pay for postage on absentee ballot applications and on any absentee ballots themselves
  • Limit each County to only one Early Vote and secure ballot drop box location no matter its size or population.
  • Force Ohioans to request absentee ballots by mail instead of online.
  • Prohibit the Governor and Ohio Department of Health Director from “causing an election to be conducted other than the time, place, and manner prescribed by the Revised Code,” effectively tying official’s hands to change aspects of the election even if the pandemic continues to worsen.
  • Shorten the time to request a vote-by-mail ballot

Despite repeatedly saying he wants to allow Ohioans to request an absentee ballot online and that forcing voters to pay for return postage is likely “unconstitutional,” Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is inexplicably supporting the passage of HB 680.

Reports suggest the Secretary of State and local election officials are primarily interested in moving up the deadline to request an absentee ballot, but if that’s the case, they should condition their endorsement on improvements to the bill that make it easier — not harder — for Ohioans to exercise alternatives to voting in person on election day.

The bill is up for its first and last Senate hearing tomorrow, setting it up for a likely floor vote at tomorrow’s 1:30 pm session. See “Statehouse Meetings and Events” below for details on watching or testifying at tomorrow’s hearing. 
Here is a tool you can use to send a note to your State Senator to ask them to fix HB 680.

Take Action on HB 680

House Bill 680 — up for a vote in the Ohio Senate as early as tomorrow, July 21 — does nothing to make our elections safer or more accessible in November. 

Contact your state Senator and ask them to amend HB 680 with the following voting improvements:

  • Prepaid postage on absentee applications and ballots,
  • Online absentee ballot requests, and
  • Multiple, secure and convenient drop boxes to return absentee ballots

Click here to send an email to your Senator now!

New Legislation This Week

Below are some of the new bills introduced in the last several weeks since we last sent an update. You can also view the complete list of bills we’re tracking.

Ohio Democratic Leaders Condemn Republican Voter Suppression Bill, Call on LaRose to Take More Proactive Action

Columbus, OH – Today, leading Ohio Democratic elected officials held a press call to condemn Ohio Republicans for failing to secure safe and accessible elections this fall and calling on Secretary LaRose to take specific actions. 

A recording of the call is available here. (Password: 6t&W626p)

New data shows over 1.5% of all votes (over 30,000 absentee and provisional ballots) cast in the spring primary were thrown out. Those tend to be disproportionately young people, seniors, Black people, and poor people who lack access to transportation and technology.

“We’re going to have a closely-watched, high-turnout, tight-margin election this fall, and that does not give me confidence that Ohioans are going to be able to have faith in the outcome,” said Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin, identifying this as a civil rights issue. “Over the last two weeks, as White and Black Ohioans have been marching together outside on the Statehouse lawn for justice, the Republican majority was inside giving a masterclass in systemic racism.” He asked Republicans to “take their knee off the necks” of Ohioans and let them vote.

They called on the Secretary of State to maximize existing authority to ensure access in the November election. “We’re happy that the Secretary of State announced last night that he plans to use funding from the Controlling Board to send absentee ballot request forms to registered voters. We’re happy that he plans to continue something that has happened in Ohio ever since 2012. It is literally the least he could do,” said Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval. 

They called on LaRose to: 

  1. Put pre-paid postage on those ballot request forms using funding from the Controlling Board, failure of which constitutes a poll tax and which the Secretary of State has said himself in past letters to the legislature is likely unconstitutional.
  2. Create an online absentee ballot request form instead of making people use printers, ink, and stamps to make their request. This power is within his existing authority under ORC 3509. As Secretary of State, Jon Husted similarly used his own authority to create online voter registration updates. 
  3. Implement automatic voter registration administratively, which he has said he supports in the past. This would counteract the likely fall-off in voter drives and motor vehicle registrations not occurring during the pandemic.

Columbus City Council President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown introduced a resolution yesterday to declare that the City of Columbus condemns these voter suppression efforts, noting Franklin County, the largest county in Ohio, accounts for about 11% of the state’s population but about 15% of all the absentee and provisional ballots thrown out. She shared several ideas for how cities and counties can remedy the problems the state has failed to solve.  “None of this is an accident,” she said. “We know what this is. It is a recipe for long lines and voter disenfranchisement..If the state is not willing to lead on this matter, then local governments are going to have to step into the breach.” 

State Representative Brigid Kelly condemned House Bill 680 that passed out of the committee on which she is the ranking member. It received no proponent testimony until the Secretary of State suddenly decided to support it even though it does not align with the stated proposals he spent weeks disseminating. “Now the Secretary says he is supporting a bill that does not align with his own priorities. This means the Republicans in the legislature or the Secretary of State are not working for the interests of Ohioans, an overwhelming majority of whom want to make it easier to vote early and by mail.” 

This follows a May 11 press call when these Democrats came together with 20+ elected colleagues across the state to release a letter outlining policies to ensure a safe, accessible, and secure general election. “Unfortunately, it seems we were correct that Republican leaders in Ohio had no interest in ensuring every Ohioan is able to vote this fall,” said Portage County Commissioner Kathleen Clyde. “And unlike with the botched spring primary, there is no possibility of a re-do for the November election. This pandemic is far from over.”

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Ohio extends vote by mail primary until April 28 due to coronavirus. Here is what you need to know

The new deadline to cast your ballot is April 28

We certainly live in uncertain times.

At last, we have a clear answer about how to vote in the Ohio Primary! Initially, that was supposed to happen on March 17 but in-person voting was canceled at the last minute due to justified concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

So what happened?

State lawmakers extended the opportunity to vote by mail in the Ohio Primary until April 28th*

*Ballots must be postmarked by April 27th

If you voted before March 17, great! You’re all set and don’t need to take any action. Your ballot will be counted

There will be no in-person voting for the primary, with the exception of a small group of voters. If you have a disability or are experiencing homelessness, you will be permitted to vote in-person on April 28 at the county Board of Elections where you are registered between 6:30 am – 7:30 pm.

If you haven’t voted in the primary yet, request your ballot immediately.

If you haven’t voted in the primary yet, the best thing you can do is request your ballot immediately (even though boards of elections will technically accept ballot requests until April 25th). By submitting your request early, you can ensure you will have plenty of time ahead of the April 28 deadline to fulfill the required steps, which we will outline below.

Voters will not be automatically provided with a ballot request form.

However, if you are a registered voter in Ohio, you will receive a postcard from the Secretary of State’s office explaining:

  • 1. How to request an absentee ballot
  • 2. The procedure for returning your completed ballot to your county Board of Elections
  • 3. The deadlines for absentee ballot requests and the return of your completed ballot

Some voting rights groups expressed concern that the April 28 deadline selected by the legislature could create logistical challenges due to the requirement that all voters manually request their ballot by mail or phone. Most states with all-mail elections in place send a ballot to all eligible voters.

If only it could be that easy in Ohio, huh?

Again, this is why we encourage you to request your absentee ballot as soon as possible.

STEP ONE – Obtain a ballot request form

There are a few ways you can obtain an absentee ballot request form.

  1. Download and print a request form from the Secretary of State’s website 
  2. Call your county’s Board of Elections to request one over the phone.
  3. Write out the required information on a piece of paper and mail it to or drop it off at the Board of Elections.
Image courtesy of Mia Lewis with Common Cause Ohio on Twitter

STEP TWO – Fill out your ballot request form

The Secretary of State’s website lets you fill it out before you download and print. 

Make sure you sign the form before putting it in an envelope. 

Be careful not to list today’s date where you’re asked to list your birth date (that’s a common mistake).

If you fill the form out by hand, here’s a diagram that may be helpful, courtesy of Ohio Progressive Action Leaders:

Image courtesy of OPAL – Ohio Progressive Action Leaders

STEP THREE – Mail your request form to your county’s Board of Elections

Once you have your request form in-hand and filled out, put a stamp on it, address it to your county’s Board of Elections, and drop it in the mail; or drop it off in-person. All early vote centers should have drop boxes available to do drive-bys.

STEP FOUR – Fill out your ballot when it arrives

Go to the Secretary of State’s website to find your sample ballot for the primary.

STEP FIVE – Return you completed ballot

IMPORTANT: Absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than 4/27, or they can be dropped off at vote centers by 4/28.

Frequently Asked Questions

See more FAQs on the Sec. of State’s website.

What election date should I put on my ballot request form? The date of the election technically never changed from March 17, but Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office has stated they will accept March 17, April 28, or June 2 as valid election dates.

Can I request a ballot online? No, although this seems like a commonsense reform worth advocating for, long-term.

What if I don’t have a printer? Not everybody has ready access to a printer, especially right now at a time when many public libraries and office places are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. If you don’t have a printer, call your local county’s board of elections and ask them to mail you an absentee ballot request form. You will still need to complete the form and mail it back before you receive your official ballot.

Can I put multiple applications in one envelope? Yes, but only so long as all the forms are supposed to be delivered to the same county board of elections. 

Do I need to pay for postage? You need postage for when you send in your absentee ballot request form. The postage on your ballot should be prepaid.

Does this mean I can vote in the primary if I register to vote right now? Unfortunately, no. In order to be eligible to cast your primary ballot by mail, you have to have already been registered to vote by February 18, 2020. 

The voter registration deadline for the November 3 General Election is October 5, 2020. You can register to vote online in Ohio at the Secretary of State’s website.

See what’s on the 2020 ballot in Ohio

October Poll Finds Trump Underwater in Ohio, Trailing Generic Democrat

Columbus, OH – A new poll from Public Policy Polling and Innovation Ohio shows that Ohio is set to return to its traditional status as a battleground state in 2020.
A memo on the results and the cross tabs can be found on Innovation Ohio’s website.
After winning the state by 8 points in 2016, the PPP survey finds President Trump trailing a generic Democratic 47-48% and an underwater 47-51% favorable/unfavorable rating. Given that state’s swing from 2012 to 2016, it is especially notable that President Trump trails a generic Democrat 37-51% with independent voters.
“As Democrats gather to debate in Ohio, these results show that Ohio will once again be a battleground in 2020, and any Democrat would be foolish to write off our state,” said Innovation Ohio President Janetta King. “Given his unpopularity with Ohio voters, it is clear that President Trump’s failures and broken promises are catching up with him in the state.”
“Ohio is a must-win state for President Trump. His poor numbers in this poll help to explain his early spending on TV and digital ads here,” King continued.
The poll also tested President Trump against five Democratic candidates; he failed to top 47% against any of them. This survey comes on the heels of similar results from Emerson Polling.
Founded in 2011, Innovation Ohio is a nonpartisan, nonprofit thank tank that blends policy research and advocacy to fight for working families in Ohio.
PPP surveyed 776 Ohio voters on October 10th and 11th on behalf of Innovation Ohio. 60% of surveys were completed by telephone and 40% were completed by text message. The survey’s margin of error is +/-3.5%.

Multiple election reform bills on legislative agenda this fall

Since August, five bills have been introduced in the General Assembly regarding voting procedures. With legislators set to return from their summer break in the coming weeks, here is some basic information about each bill: House Bill 240: Introduced by Representatives Adams and Becker, HB 240 eliminates the option of holding special elections in February and August. Special elections tend to feature local questions like tax levies. House Bill 250: Introduced by Representative Becker, HB 250 reduces the days for early voting. The first day for early voting would move from 35 days to 17 days prior to an election. House Bill 263: Introduced by Representative Becker, HB 263 limits and standardizes the times for early in-person voting throughout the state of Ohio. With HB 263, early voting sites would only be open Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm. House Bill 266: Introduced by Representative Becker, HB 266 prohibits the mailing of unsolicited election forms and the prepayment of postage for the return of election forms. The bill also clarifies that a board of elections should be the entity responsible for sending and receiving absent voter’s ballot materials. Senate Bill 175: Introduced by Senator LaRose, SB 175 revises the law concerning voter registration and requests for absentee ballots. Among the changes in SB 175 are online voter registration and information sharing between state agencies in order to maintain the statewide voter registration database. Another bill that is under consideration this fall is House Bill 75, introduced by Representative Stinziano in early February. HB 75 establishes an online voter registration system and would also implement a statewide voter registration database-information sharing system.  

Early, in-person voting especially important to Ohio’s African-American community

Under the headline: Analysis of Cuyahoga County voting finds cutback on in-person balloting hits minorities most a story over the weekend by The Plain Dealer’s Tom Feran provides more confirmation that GOP efforts in battleground states to tighten restrictions on when and how we vote are part of a larger strategy to keep Democrats away from the polls. We showed you earlier that Democrats are more likely to vote early and we also just released a report that puts Ohio into the context of wider-ranging right-wing efforts to suppress the vote during this presidential election season. What the analysis described by The Plain Dealer tells us is that there is solid evidence that Republicans stand to gain by restricting early voting in-person before Election Day because it interferes with a traditional way by which many African-Americans vote. From Feran’s article: [Read more…]

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