Ohio Ballot Board Reform Vital to Ensure Free, Fair Elections

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) and Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) today unveiled legislation that would reform the composition of the Ohio Ballot Board. Details of the drafted bill were laid out Friday morning at a news conference at the Statehouse. 

“One of the fundamental freedoms that makes this country special is our ability to have fair elections, free from any interference. Unfortunately, for three straight elections now, Ohioans stood by helplessly as the Republican-controlled Ballot Board played partisan politics with the democratic values guaranteed to voters in the Ohio constitution,” said Rep. Brown Piccolantonio at Friday’s news conference. “All of us who serve as lawmakers are elected by Ohioans who rightfully expect and want us to work together to represent their interests in government so that we can make their lives and communities better. When we put partisan politics aside and work toward common ground, no matter our background or beliefs, people win.”

“When Ohioans go to the polls, they expect partisan bickering to be left out of the voting booth. The system currently in place to ensure that is broken and, as elected officials, we owe it to the people to solve a problem within our democratic process with bipartisan solutions,” said Rep. Upchurch in a statement.

“The reason we need to take action is because of the failed leadership of the Republican-led Ballot Board. A handful of power-hungry politicians used the Ballot Board as a political tool to write dishonest language to deceive, mislead, and defraud voters,” said House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) who was in attendance at Friday’s news conference. “As its chairman, Secretary of State LaRose has destroyed the reputation of this body beyond repair. No secretary of state should put their own political ambitions in front of the best interests of the people. These types of partisan actions, from Republicans or Democrats, are wrong and fail the people of Ohio. The legislation introduced by Reps. Brown Piccolantonio and Upchurch can be a bipartisan opportunity to right that wrong.” 

The legislation introduced by Reps. Brown Piccolantonio and Upchurch would take effect immediately and do the following: 

Increase Bipartisan Cooperation

• Restructure Ballot Board to have co-chairs of opposite parties who will jointly call meetings and set agendas.
• Require legislative leaders’ appointments to the Ballot Board to be agreed upon by both legislative leaders of opposite parties in the House and Senate. 

Limit Politicians’ and Lobbyists’ Control of The Process

• Like Citizens Not Politicians, this prohibits lobbyists and politicians from serving as an appointed member on the Ballot Board. 

Give More Power to Citizens

• The Ballot Board, rather than the Secretary of State, will determine statewide ballot issue titles by a majority vote. Right now, the secretary of state can act alone, unchecked in putting whatever they or their political friends want before Ohio voters.