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House Dems Welcome Input from Voting Rights Advocates
Working group highlights
Democratic efforts to make elections safe and accessible
State Representatives Paula
Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo), Michele Lepore-Hagan
(D-Youngstown), and Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland)
responded to a letter from over 60 advocacy groups
containing election policy recommendations for best
practices, particularly in emergency situations like the
country is now facing. The three representatives make up the
House Democratic Caucus' Elections Working Group which has
been monitoring election challenges and crafting policy
proposals to ensure elections remain safe and accessible.
The coalition's letter focused on expanding mail voting and
providing adequate in-person voting opportunities, two top
priorities of the House Democratic Caucus and its Elections
Working Group.
"In Ohio, we are fortunate
to have a strong voting rights community that is always
holding public officials accountable on matters of
democracy," said Rep. Hicks-Hudson, leader of the caucus
working group. "The recommendations they have made are in
line with what we as a caucus have prioritized over the past
two decades to clear away obstacles to Ohio voters' rights.
Mail delays, postmark problems, and unreasonable procedures
cannot be allowed to disenfranchise Ohio voters. It is our
intent to return to Columbus to work on addressing and
promoting access to the ballot for all eligible voters."
"I commend the League of
Women Voters and the many other voting rights groups in this
coalition for their continued work and presence as we seek
to expand access to mail voting for Ohioans and provide for
the many voting challenges posed by this public health
crisis," said Rep. Lepore-Hagan, sponsor of vote by mail
bill HB 560.
"We lawmakers rely on Ohio's
voting advocacy community to help inform our constituents
about their voting rights and to inform our elections policy
work," said Rep. Sweeney. "The recommendations this
coalition has put together draw on everyday voters'
experiences and we are listening to their proposals as we
gather information to move forward with a solution for
Ohio's 2020 elections and beyond. This primary has revealed
weaknesses that Ohio should have been prepared for. But a
decade of rollbacks to voter access and neglect of needed
upgrades have left the state vulnerable."
The House Democratic Caucus
members worked with their legislative colleagues to enact an
extension to voting in the ongoing 2020 primary. Several
changes they sought did not make it into the final bill and
voters are now confused by the changes which eliminated
almost all in-person voting and failed to guarantee easily
available application forms and paid postage for all voters.
House Democrats have
introduced bills to improve voting this General Assembly and
in General Assemblies past. Protecting voting rights has
long been a priority of the caucus.
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