COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law Friday afternoon that changes state rules on mail-in voting and voter registration.
Senate Bill 293 eliminates a grace period for absentee ballots and requires the Secretary of State to verify registered voters’ citizenship on a monthly basis. Under S.B. 293, the state eliminates the current four-day buffer for boards of elections to receive absentee ballots, now requiring all ballots to be delivered by hand or mail by the time the polls close on Election Day.
DeWine has said multiple times over the past couple years that he did not want to see changes to Ohio’s election laws. He said he signed S.B. 293 because of an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case, where the court could forbid Election Day grace periods entirely. DeWine said if the court rules all grace periods are unlawful and Ohio still had one in effect, it could make make Ohio’s 2026 elections “chaotic.”…