Congressional Democrats from Ohio have written to the secretary of state urging him to reverse course on a decision they say prohibits “local boards of election from providing multiple secure ballot drop boxes in each county.”
“… Ohio’s chaotic primary season alone reminds us that steps must be taken to ensure that Ohioans are given options that permit them to vote in a safe, healthy, and predictable manner,” they wrote. “Secure ballot drop boxes can play a key role in such efforts. Without question, however, your recently announced policy will create a barrier to voting in our state and directly threaten the health of Ohioans and their families.”
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur, Joyce Beatty and Tim Ryan, all Democrats, signed the letter to Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican.
On Twitter, LaRose clapped back, saying the state has more drop boxes where voters can drop their ballots than when Brown served as secretary of state from 1983 to 1991.
“Every county board of elections will have a drop box this fall for the first time ever in a general election,” LaRose said on Twitter. “That never has happened before, let alone when you were” secretary of state.
“Voting is easier than it has ever been in Ohio,” LaRose added. “The law is clear about how ballots can be returned.”
Last week, LaRose sent the 48-point Ohio Voting Safety Plan to Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections. The plan includes the routine cleaning of voting machines, social distancing recommendations, making curbside voting available and a requirement that poll workers wear masks and regularly wash their hands.
At the state level, Democrats have made voting a staple of their messaging, and the topic has gained new momentum nationally amid concerns the U.S. Postal Service will be unable to handle the increased number of mail-in ballots this election season.
“I do not know what is happening at the Secretary of State’s office. Hundreds of voting experts and everyday Ohioans have asked him to improve our elections by allowing multiple secure drop boxes to be deployed in our counties,” state Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Cleveland, said in a statement.
Republicans, however, will note that even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens have gathered in cities nationwide, including in Ohio, to protest various issues, including what they see as racism and police brutality.
“If you can protest in person, you can vote in person,” U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said on Facebook.
