Legislators Consider Voting Changes

CENTRAL OHIO—State legislators are mulling over several changes that could affect absentee and early voting in Ohio next year.

State Representative Dan Stewart, a Columbus Democrat, is lead sponsor of substitute House Bill 260, which would give Ohio voters 28 days for both early voting and absentee voting.

The bill also would simplify how voters prove their identify at the polls.

Republicans in the state Senate have their own plan as well.

“We want to make the process a little bit easier for voters and for poll workers,“ Stewart said. “That gives voters 28 days to pick the times when they are off work or don’t have to pick up the kids.“

The bill also would eliminate the so-called “Golden Week” where voters are allowed to register and vote on the same day.

Last year, conservatives were concerned that supporters of Barack Obama could manipulate the system to influence the vote count.

“We eliminated the overlap week, or “Golden Week,“ because of concerns that people had that there may be fraud because involved in that,“ Stewart said.

Early voting options would continue with as many as four polling locations determined by county boards of election. Additionally, to verify their right to vote, voters would need to present a government-issued identification or provide their signature and the last four digits of their Social Security number or their driver’s license number. A bank statement or utility bill would not longer be accepted.

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