Ohio House Democrats Urge Gov. DeWine to Veto Bill Burdening Ohioans Ability to Make Their Voices Heard at the Ballot Box

COLUMBUS — Ohio House Democrats today sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine requesting a full veto of anti-voter Senate Bill (SB) 293, which places new burdens on voters by adding unnecessary hurdles to the voting process, shortening the time available for Ohioans to make their voices heard, and weakening essential accountability measures.

“Eliminating the grace period for mail-in ballots and creating changes to Ohio’s election laws with little transparency and community engagement undermines the fairness and accessibility of our democratic process,” said Rep. Russo. “I am urging the Governor to veto this bill because it represents a direct threat to the voting rights of our constituents. Our elections should be shaped by transparency and citizen participation, not by last-minute changes that make it harder for people to have their voices heard.”

The letter outlines the harmful impacts of SB 293, including:

• Eliminating the four-day grace period that currently allows timely-mailed ballots to arrive after Election Day and still count.
• Increasing cancellations of voter registrations through new, unvetted mechanisms.
• Forcing more people into provisional ballots, which are more likely to be rejected.
• Disproportionately impacting older voters, disabled voters, working Ohioans, and those without reliable transportation.
• Creating election-day confusion by pushing major changes during the middle of the 2025 election cycle.
• Rushing changes with almost no public input or testimony.

House Democrats are hopeful Governor DeWine upholds his commitment of not expecting “to see any further statutory changes to Ohio voting procedures while [he is] Governor.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The letter House Democrats sent to the governor is attached to this release.