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Group Gathering Petitions For Voter Reform Ballot Issue Gives Up Its Effort

A voter signs a petition for a signature gatherer working in Columbus last year.
Andy Chow
A voter signs a petition for a signature gatherer working in Columbus last year.

A group that wanted to put voter reforms such as guaranteed 28 days of early voting, same day registration and voting and automatic registration at the BMV on the fall ballot has dropped its effort. 

Getting more than 440,000 valid signatures needed by July 1 to put an issue on the November ballot is a challenge at any time. But Toni Webb with Ohioans for Secure and Fair Elections says it was just too much right now.

“It’s incredibly disappointing but who would have known to prepare for a global pandemic?" Webb asks.

A federal court recently ruled against the group’s requestto extend the deadline to July 31. It also would have permitted the group to collect signatures online, something that has never been allowed before. 

Contact Jo Ingles at jingles@statehousenews.org.
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