Ohio Senate Democrats Urge Governor to Veto S.B. 293

Today, the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine urging him to veto Senate Bill 293, which makes sweeping changes to election laws.

“We, the undersigned members of the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus, respectfully urge you to veto Senate Bill 293. Although framed as an election-integrity measure, S.B. 293 makes sweeping changes that threaten voter access, strain election administration, and expose Ohio to significant legal and constitutional risks. 

“The bill would both (1) eliminate Ohio’s longstanding post–Election Day grace period for receiving absentee ballots, and (2) impose new, untested noncitizen-verification, voter-challenge, and data-matching requirements. These changes, taken together, risk disenfranchising lawful voters and undermining the professionalism and credibility of Ohio’s election system,” reads the letter.

“This legislation would reverse decades of effective bipartisan policy, disenfranchise lawful voters, destabilize election administration, and expose the State of Ohio to significant and avoidable litigation risk. Protecting the constitutional rights of Ohio voters requires policies grounded in accuracy, fairness, and stability—not rushed or uncertain changes that undermine public confidence.”

The letter outlines the high risk of disenfranchising lawful voters, strain on election administration, legal and constitutional vulnerabilities, and harm to voter confidence and participation that the bill will cause if signed. 

Read the full letter here.