ICYMI: Even Ohio Republicans Know The GOP Anti-Voter Legislation is Wrong for Ohio
October 4, 2021
Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, former Republican Governor Bob Taft slammed members of his own party late last week, saying proposed anti-voter legislation would take Ohio backward and deny democracy to Ohio voters. In an op-ed published by the Columbus Dispatch, Taft insists every Ohioan deserves to have their voice heard, and no state lawmaker should support policy allowing election tools to leave any Ohio voters behind.
The editorial, authored by the former governor, shows just how out of touch Ohio’s Republican Party truly is, just as current Secretary of State Frank LaRose continues pushing regressive legislation that directly attacks voting methods that made the 2020 election successful. You can read more from Taft here, and below:
- Unfortunately, some measures introduced in the legislature this year would take us backward when it comes to election policy.
- Creating new hurdles to vote by mail or vote early would impact many often-overlooked communities, including voters with disabilities and voters in rural areas.
- A large majority of voters (60%) in Ohio’s rural areas voted by mail or voted early in-person in the 2020 election.
- Voters in rural areas may live far away from a polling place or need the flexibility to vote early due to work or medical conditions, so it makes sense they would rely on vote by mail and early voting methods.
- Giving voters secure options should not be a partisan issue.
- Instead of trying to make it harder to cast a ballot by mail or early, we should keep Ohio’s mail voting system strong, allow counties to expand early voting opportunities, let voters request a mail ballot online, and give counties more flexibility to provide secure drop boxes.
- We shouldn’t leave any voter behind when we are creating election policy, whether they live in Dayton or Zanesville.
- My hope is that our leaders in Columbus will work together to come up with policies that protect every Ohioan’s ability to participate in our democracy and have their voice heard.