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So far, noted Gerken, only
two such ballot box locations have currently been designated
for the county, which are not enough. “The law allows it,”
he said, the Ohio Attorney General “just needs to set it
up.”
“The Board of Elections
needs to align with these demands,” he added.
Hicks-Hudson and Sobecki
addressed their concerns about Ohio House Bill 680 which
recently passed in the Ohio House and has gone to the Ohio
Senate for its approval. The bill – which addresses election
procedures – passed along a party line in the House – all
Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed.
As passed by the Ohio
House, the Republican bill will prohibit future public
officials from “causing an election to conducted other than
the time, place and manner prescribed by the Revised Code;”
rolls back the absentee ballot request deadline from the
Saturday before an election to a full week before an
election; prohibits the Secretary of State from including
prepaid postage on any absentee ballot requests of absentee
ballots.
“This is an impediment to
democracy,” said Hicks-Hudson outlining her concerns about
the three provisions. The prohibition against prepaid
postage, she noted, would also apply to military personnel
in the service of their country.
“Our position at the
statehouse is that we are going to make access to voting a
priority,” she said. ’Leadership has the option of hope,”
Hicks-Hudson quoted the late Congressman John Lewis. “I am
optimistic that we can make this work for voters easily and
safely.
Hicks-Hudson and her
Democratic colleagues are working on their own legislation
to “allow citizens to participate in our government,” she
said. That legislation would make absentee ballot requests
available online; establish postage paid return ballot
requests and ballots and allow counties to set the number
and hours of early voting centers.
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