Ohio House approves two election-related measures

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Proposals to trim early voting and set
rules for mailing unsolicited absentee ballot applications cleared the
Ohio House on Wednesday amid partisan rancor in the presidential
battleground state.
Ohioans can cast an absentee ballot by mail or
in person without giving any reason. Currently, early voting starts 35
days prior to Election Day.
One bill would cut that time by
eliminating so-called golden week — a period when residents can both
register to vote and cast an early ballot. Without those days, early
voting would then typically start 29 days before Election Day.
More
than 59,000 voters cast early, in-person ballots during golden week in
the 2012 presidential election, according to estimates from the
secretary of state’s office. That number does not include residents who
voted by mail, though roughly 1.1 million had requested absentee ballots
to do so that week.
Supporters say same-day registration and
voting doesn’t give boards of elections enough time to properly verify
registration applications.
Democrats argued the state should not
focus on rolling back early voting opportunities but rather expanding
them. They accused majority Republicans of making it more difficult to
vote.
"This is a good bill," said state Rep.
Andy Brenner, a Powell Republican. "There’s no voter suppression, it’s common sense."
Republican
House Speaker William Batchelder cut off debate on both bills over
objections from Democrats — some of whom stood to demand that the
discussion be allowed to continue.
A separate bill would let the
secretary of state mail unsolicited applications for general elections
and only if the Legislature directed the money for it. Other public
officials would be banned. It also would prohibit local boards of
elections from prepaying the return postage on the applications.
Ohio’s larger, urban counties traditionally have sent voters the applications without residents
requesting them.
Republican
backers say the change helps achieve fairness and consistency across
county lines. But voter advocates and Democrats argue that not every
county is the same.
"I haven’t really heard a good reason for these bills," said state Rep. Connie Pillich, a
Montgomery Democrat.
The House passed the absentee-application proposal on a 59-36 vote. The early-voting trim passed on a
58-36 vote.
The Senate will have to agree to the House changes to the bills before they could go to the governor.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
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