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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's restrictive new election law significantly shortens the window for mailed ballots to be received — despite no evidence that the extended timeline has led to fraud or any other problems — and that change is angering active-duty members of the military and their families because of its potential to disenfranchise them.
Those familiar with submitting military ballots said applying for, receiving and filling out a mailed ballot requires extra time.
Three other states narrowed their post-election windows for accepting mail ballots last session, according to data from the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab.
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The new law reduces the number of days for county election boards to include mailed ballots in their tallies from 10 days after Election Day to four. Critics say that could lead more ballots from Ohio’s military voters to miss the deadline and get tossed.
Ohio's restrictive new election law significantly shortens the window for mailed ballots to be received - despite no evidence that the extended timeline has led to fraud or any other problems - and that change is angering active-duty members of the military and their families because of its potential to disenfranchise them.