Ohio House Passes Legislation to Require Absentee Ballots Arrive by Election Day

Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) today announced that the Ohio House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 293 – legislation sponsored by State Senators Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) and Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) – that would require all mailed absentee ballots to be delivered to the board of elections by poll closing on Election Day.

“Our state is historically will continue to have a robust, safe, and secure election process with the passage of Senate Bill 293. By enacting this piece of legislation now, the Secretary of State and Board of Elections have adequate time to advertise this minor revision and allow Ohioans to plan how they will vote in their next election. In the 2024 General Election, 0.01% of the mailed in ballots arrived after Election Day – meaning the vast majority of Ohio voters are voting ahead of time or on election day and this update would have minimal impact on their voting process,” said Speaker Huffman. “This update brings Ohio in line with two thirds of states nationwide while still providing citizens with 28 days to cast their votes ahead of time and maintaining our state’s high standards for election integrity.”

The bill would align Ohio’s election laws with the 34 other states that require mailed ballots to be received before or on election day. Meanwhile, 16 states – including California, Illinois, New York, Oregon, and Washington – still allow absentee ballots to arrive after election day, a practice that prolongs the vote counting process and increases the potential for delays and errors. The goal is to put this law in place now, well ahead of next year’s election, so that the Secretary of State and Ohio’s eighty-eight county board of elections have time to prepare, advertise, and administer the change, ensuring the public is aware.

This bill now heads to the Governor for his signature.