The Ohio General Assembly on Wednesday, March 25, passed legislation extending mail-in voting for the March 17 primary election through Tuesday, April 28, as part of the state's continued response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
Under the bill – H. B. 197 – the new deadline for requesting by-mail absentee ballots is noon on April 25; returned ballots need to be dropped off at the board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on April 28 or postmarked by April 27 and received by May 8. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill on Friday, March 27.
By-mail absentee ballots for the primary election can be requested through the Franklin County Board of Elections. Voters should enter 03/17/20 as the date of the election when requesting their ballots. If you already cast your primary election ballot, your vote will count! You don't need to do anything more.
In-person voting opportunities will be available on April 28 for individuals with disabilities or who do not have a home address. There will otherwise be no additional in-person voting for the primary election.
Ohio legislators were quick to note the legislation passed Wednesday does not technically delay the primary. "We’re merely allowing additional voting for the March 17 election," said state Sen. Matt Huffman of Lima, per Cleveland.com.
That also means only voters registered as of February 18 – the original deadline to register for the March 17 primary – are eligible to vote through April 28.
"The primary has come and gone," Ohio House speaker Larry Householder said, reports the Statehouse News Bureau. "It was March 17. What we did was we extended the opportunity for absentee voting for that March 17 primary."
Voting rights groups including the League of Women Voters of Ohio had advocated for an extended voter registration deadline of 30 days prior to a reset election day. In a memo sent March 25 to both parties' leadership in the General Assembly, the groups also called April 28 "an unacceptable, unworkable date for the primary."
Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health, on Monday, March 16, ordered all Ohio polling places closed on March 17 due to the public health risks posed by COVID-19. Ohio secretary of state Frank LaRose then took steps to delay the primary election until Tuesday, June 2. The legislation passed Wednesday overrules that decision.
"It’s disappointing that [the General Assembly has] instead chosen to significantly reduce the time provided for Ohio to bring this primary to a close," Mr. LaRose said in a statement. "Though I advocated for a different plan, the legislature has spoken, and I will uphold my oath of office by doing everything in my power over the next 34 days to ensure that every Ohio voter has the opportunity to safely make their voice heard."
The most up-to-date information on the extension of vote-by-mail for the primary election is available at VoteOhio.gov/CoronaFacts. For information on COVID-19, its symptoms, and its cause – the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 – consult the CDC.
Originally published 03/19/20. Updated 03/26/20 and 03/27/20.
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