Blackshear Condemns Voter Suppression Bill

Today, state Senator Willis E. Blackshear Jr. (D-Dayton) voted against Senate Bill 293, a bill that eliminates the grace period for mail-in ballots to be received.
 
“Senate Bill 293 is a terrible bill that will disenfranchise thousands of voters in Ohio,” said Blackshear. “Almost 10,000 ballots were postmarked by Election Day but not received until afterwards in 2024. Under this bill, that grace period would be eliminated and those ballots would be thrown out.”
 
This legislation would eliminate the grace period that allows absentee ballots postmarked by the day before Election Day to be counted if they arrive in the mail up to four days after Election Day. Ballots would instead need to be delivered to county boards of elections by the time that polls close on Election Day.
 
Senate Bill 293 now heads to the Ohio House of Representatives for consideration.