Ohio House OKs election reform bill

Van Wert independent/contributor content

COLUMBUS — State Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) announced that the Ohio House of Representatives has passed a comprehensive set of reforms designed to modernize the elections process, streamline operations and reduce costs for local boards of elections. Additionally, House Bill 194 will eliminate what is known as “Golden Week,” help to verify the accuracy of voter rolls, improve the verification process for valid provisional and absentee ballots, and set statewide standards to absentee voting.

“Voters have a responsibility to be informed and take initiative,” said Wachtmann. “Our voting system had been subject to corruption, especially on college campuses, but the passage of this bill will improve the system and strengthen it against potential fraud.”

House Bill 194 includes the following provisions and many others:

• Allowing the creation of a top-down voter registration database and sharing of information from other states to ensure the accuracy of voter registration rolls
• Allowing online change of address by registered voters
• Authorizing the certification and use of electronic poll books
• Simplifying the provisional voting process
• Ensuring statewide uniformity for the issuance of absentee voting applications, absentee voting locations, and time periods
• Clarifying poll worker error

House Bill 194 also strives to increase voter accessibility by making Ohio law consistent with ADA ramp requirements for Ohioans with disabilities, eliminating the need for duplicate forms by allowing a provisional voter to use the affirmation form for change of name or address, and reduces the number of reasons why a voter may be required to cast a provisional ballot, among other measures.

The legislation will now move to the Ohio Senate, where it will undergo further consideration.