Sweeney issues statement on Ohio federal court weekend order on drop boxes

COLUMBUS— State Representative Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) responded to a federal court’s Saturday order requiring the Ohio Secretary of State  to explain himself by noon today on why he has not allowed Cuyahoga County’s Board of Elections to move forward with its bipartisan unanimous plan to offer ballot drop off services at six library locations.

A state appeals court late on Friday ruled that the law allows the secretary to install more drop boxes if he chooses, but the court declined to require him to do so. Also last week, the governor of Texas copied Ohio and ordered all drop box sites closed except for one in each county.

Said Rep. Sweeney:

“I am sad to see the residents of major American cities – like my hometown of Cleveland and now Houston and Dallas – used as pawns in a national GOP plan to cut off voting access. First, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose limited drop boxes to one per county and ordered Cuyahoga County to halt its unanimous bipartisan plan to accept ballots at six satellite locations. Now, the Texas GOP is following his lead and closing satellite ballot drop-off sites. Thankfully, a federal court is demanding answers here in Ohio. I hope Texans, like Ohioans, will make their voices heard and vote no matter what!”

Representative Bride Rose Sweeney is a member of the House Democratic Caucus’ Elections Working Group assembled by Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) at the onset of the pandemic to deal with its impact on voters and voting rights. Rep. Sweeney is the youngest elected Democrat in the Ohio House and the first woman to represent her district in the chamber.

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