In the past few weeks many have written about the dangers of SAVE act and the perilous impact it will have on voters. I’ve read many comments to those letters designating the authors (including myself) as alarmists. I’d rather be labeled an alarmist than keep quiet and regret the loss of my rights. Sen. Gavarone has introduced, SB 153, an even more dangerous piece of legislation.
Current laws already restrict illegal voting, flagging and blocking ineligible individuals from casting a ballot. The Secretary of State has said our election accuracy is 99.9%. Yet, SB 153 requires not only those registering to vote or updating their voter registration to do so in person at their local Board of Elections (BOE), it also bans ballot drop boxes.
Last year, the Wood County BOE processed 34,424 voter registrations, with more than 20,000 of those stemming from an online form that will cease to exist if this bill passes. In addition, the 2,731 voters who used the drop box last year would now be required to bring it into the office, if they don’t trust the mail system to deliver it on time. The number of walk-ins will further increase given that SB 153 also requires the name on your driver’s license to match the name on your voter registration exactly, and a trip to the BOE will be necessary if this isn’t the case for you.
The BOE is not equipped to accommodate an increase in walk-ins and SB 153 does not include any additional funding for the extra staffing it would require. SB 153 and its companion bill, HB 233, are unnecessary and put undue burdens on both, BOEs and our citizens. Contact Sen. Gavarone and ask her how this bill is making elections safer for Ohioans?
Shar Katzner
Bowling Green
