Ohio attorney general rejects summary of proposed election law changes

Columbus Dispatch

Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment to change Ohio election laws must start over, Attorney General Dave Yost rules.

The Ohio attorney general’s office Friday rejected the summary language for a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would modify Ohio’s election laws.

A coalition led by the ACLU of Ohio filed initial paperwork and signatures for “The Secure and Fair Elections Amendment” with the Ohio attorney general earlier this month.

The attorney general cited two reasons for the rejection: The summary of the proposed constitutional amendment is longer than the proposed amendment itself and the summary includes a paragraph that is not included in the proposed amendment.

By statute, the attorney general is required to examine the summary that accompanies the proposed amendment to determine whether it is a fair and truthful statement of the measure.

If the attorney general declines to certify a summary because it is deemed not fair and truthful, petition circulators may re-write the summary or re-write the initiative and submit their materials again, according to the attorney general’s website. They will need to re-start the signature collection process, but they may solicit signatures from those individuals who signed the first petition.

The proposed constitutional amendment would allow Ohioans to register and vote on the same day during the early voting period, plus on Election Day itself. It would also enact automatic voter registration. Eligible citizens also could register to vote when applying for, renewing or updating an Ohio driver’s license, learner’s permit or state ID card at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Furthermore, the proposed amendment would also enact a 28-day early voting period and include measures that make it easier for military members to cast ballots.

The Ohio ACLU said having a summary rejected is not uncommon in the process of filing for a petition summary.

“This is standard practice in Ohio on the path to qualify for the ballot,” Celina Coming, communications director for ACLU of Ohio, said. “We remain committed to protecting and ensuring the right to vote for all eligible Ohioans, and we will be refiling the initiative before the deadline.”

Cole Behrens is a fellow at the E.W. Scripps Statehouse News Bureau.

Email: cbehrens@dispatch.com

Twitter: @colebehr_report