Gavarone, Brenner Introduce Bill to Protect Ohio's Elections

COLUMBUS— State Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) and State Senator Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) introduced Senate Bill 324, which further builds upon Ohio's work to protect our elections.

"Ohio is the gold standard when it comes to running elections," Gavarone said. "Senate Bill 324 addresses areas of the election law we can improve, including an extra layer of protection to enforce our state constitution's citizenship requirement. This is a simple fix that strengthens trust and integrity in our institutions."

"We take pride in maintaining safe and secure elections," said Brenner. "This legislation will strengthen the Buckeye State's election laws and add protections so that Ohioans continue to know there is a reliable system in place when they cast their vote." 

The legislation requires voters to provide proof of citizenship to their boards of elections when registering to vote or updating their registration if they have not previously done so. If proof of citizenship is not provided, the board can allow a voter to cast a provisional ballot, but the voter must provide proof of citizenship for it to be counted. 

Senate Bill 324 also requires absentee ballots to be hand-delivered to election officials or mailed back in. A voter's assistant must also sign a form attesting they are legally able to deliver another person's ballot. 

"This is another critical change to ensure the process for voting is followed correctly by all," said Gavarone. "Senate Bill 324 protects your voice at the ballot box, especially following fires being set in ballot boxes on the west coast."

Senate Bill 324 now must be referred to a committee. Follow the legislation here.