OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN ROBERT E. LATTA FIFTH DISTRICT OF OHIO
Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) is sounding the alarm on legislation the U.S. House of Representatives is voting on this week that would negatively impact the reliability of absentee voting in Northwest Ohio. The bill text, which was only released yesterday without being considered through a hearing or markup, includes language that could force absentee ballots in Northwest Ohio to be sent through the unreliable Metroplex facility in Pontiac, Michigan.
“I’ve been engaged with the USPS for years to try to fix the problems my constituents frequently experience when their mail goes through the Metroplex facility in Michigan rather than through sorting facilities in Ohio,” Latta said. “This is a major issue with all of the mail that comes in and out of our region, but it’s especially concerning when it comes to the sanctity of voting. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Frank LaRose asked that all ballots be sent to sorting facilities within the state of Ohio. The legislation that’s being rushed to the House floor could prevent the USPS from doing this, and it threatens the integrity of our election.”
“In 2016, more than 1,000 absentee ballots were delayed or lost in Northwest Ohio during that year’s election according to local election officials,” continued Latta. “While it does not appear that any races were ultimately affected by this discrepancy, the stakes are heightened this election where absentee voting will be much more prevalent. This rushed legislative process has instead produced a bill that would make the problem significantly worse in Ohio. I can’t in good conscience vote for legislation that would make it more difficult for my constituents to have their vote counted.”
Background:
Since the closing of the Toledo Processing Plant under the Obama Administration in 2012 – a closure Congressman Latta opposed – the majority of the mail in Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District has been sent to the Metroplex Mail Processing Facility in Pontiac, Michigan. This has resulted in countless delays and lost mail for residents of Northwest Ohio. Mail in the parts of Congressman Latta’s district that are sent to the Columbus sorting facility experience a fraction of the issues as mail sent through the Metroplex.
Congressman Latta has engaged the USPS on the issue for years and has toured the facility in Pontiac as well as held countless discussions with postal service leadership. Unfortunately, postal leaders under both Democrat and Republican administrations have played down issues at the Metroplex facility and insisted Northwest Ohio mail should still be sent there despite massive evidence to the contrary. Recently, Congressman Latta sent a survey asking constituents about postal issues that received more than 3,000 responses detailing a pattern of lost and delayed mail in the region.
This has affected absentee voting with the widely reported problems in 2016 and during this year’s primary. Congressman Latta’s office was also contacted about issues during the 2018 election as well. Earlier this year, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose asked the USPS to send all Ohio absentee ballots through the more reliable sorting facilities in Ohio.
In the legislation before the House this week, the Delivering for America Act, the bill would prohibit any change of operations made this year that would impede prompt, reliable, and efficient services. Due to the insistence by USPS officials that the Metroplex facility is the most appropriate for this mail, this bill could legally prohibit absentee ballots from being sent to Ohio-based sorting facilities.
Due to this legislation skipping the committee process and being written without input from Republicans, there appears to be no mechanism to change or fix the bill to prevent this consequence.
Congressman Latta, earlier this week, led a delegation letter to the USPSasking for a number of steps to be taken to ensure that absentee voting is reliable in the state of Ohio this year.
