Government/Politics

Some Democratic state lawmakers want to know why Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is shortening the amount of time counties can have to finish the official count from November’s election.

Ohio hit a new record of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 today, topping the high numbers of hospitalizations set in July.

On Election Day two years ago, wind gusts knocked out power for at least part of the day in four Northeast Ohio counties. What happens if there are more power outages on Election Day this year when voter turnout is expected to be higher than usual?

Federal authorities have charged more than a dozen men with plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and overthrow the government. And the feds say that group did some of its planning this summer in Ohio, where extremist groups have been active since at least 1994.

A direct mail company that’s been hired to print and distribute absentee ballots to Ohioans who requested them has not been able to get them to voters as fast as was promised.

The majority of Ohio's population is living in a county under a Level 3 health advisory, with 29 counties listed as "red" with very high exposure and spread of COVID-19. The spike in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions has Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) once again addressing the predicament of political rallies.

The mandatory halting of sales of alcohol at Ohio bars at 10pm is getting pushback from owners, customers and elected officials. But Gov. Mike DeWine says it has to stay in place for now.

Ohio is seeing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions, causing concern among health experts. Though Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) hasn’t made any policy changes, he says it's time for Ohioans to increase their efforts towards slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

No-knock warrants have gotten a lot of attention – most notably in the death of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in March during a shootout between her boyfriend and police in Louisville, Kentucky. Ohio’s Republican attorney general says he doesn’t want to ban those warrants, as some communities do, but he and the prosecutors in Ohio’s biggest counties have drafted some reforms.

Since the pandemic began in March, Ohio paid 821,000 regular unemployment claims and 608,000 for federally funded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to people who don’t normally qualify for jobless benefits. At times, filers have experienced frustration over not being able to file or get questions answered. But leaders of the state agency that handles unemployment says changes are being made to make it more user friendly.

State health leaders say COVID-19 infections are increasing in recent weeks when compared with the same time last month. And Gov. Mike DeWine warns that might translate into more deaths from the virus in the future. 

Way down at the bottom of the Ohio ballot are two important races – two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court. These are non-partisan races on the ballot, but there are differences between the Republican incumbents and their Democratic challengers.

The Columbus Museum of Art has announced it was laying off 39 employees and slashing their budget due to money lost during coronavirus. It’s the latest example of an arts organization that has suffered because of COVID-19. But there might be some help coming soon from the state for struggling performing arts theaters.

It’s been nearly three months since former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others connected to him were arrested on federal charges of wrongdoing associated with an energy bill signed into law last year. Gov. DeWine has said he wants that law, HB 6 repealed. But that hasn’t happened yet.

Gov. Mike DeWine is sounding a pessimistic warning about the coronavirus pandemic as the state heads toward colder months. The average number of new cases is up, and positivity has increased despite more people getting tested.

There are now more registered voters in Ohio than in the last dozen years, but the total didn’t set a record.

Last night, as early voting continues, a federal court in Cleveland gave boards of elections the green light to set up ballot drop boxes at secure and staffed locations throughout their counties. But counties are not rushing out to set up those boxes. 

Ohio law says you cannot enter a polling place wearing any article of clothing that advocates for or against a candidate. But anyone who insists on wearing political gear might not be turned away. 

A federal judge says Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose must allow counties to set up multiple ballot drop box sites. 

Gov. Mike DeWine says he’s concerned because the spread of COVID-19 continues to worsen in Ohio. 

Gov. Mike DeWine isn’t saying much about whether Ohio needs to beef up security at polling places due to the exposed plot that militia terrorists allegedly planned to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and try to overthrow the government. 

Voter rights groups have a message to people who are new to filling out mail-in absentee ballots: read through the instructions on the ballots carefully. Advocates say there are several ways a voter can get tripped up which is why it's important to send the ballot in early.

A new law that sends $650 million in federal CARES Act money to Ohio communities to help with pandemic-related costs also includes a potential overhaul for the process to apply for unemployment benefits.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R-Ohio) has issued a directive for the Franklin County board of elections in order to fix the mistake of sending wrong ballots to voters. The scope of the problem is yet to be determined. But election officials say this creates an important lesson for voters around the state.

Ohioans who have been waiting for their mail-in ballots are starting to open up their postal boxes to find them. But some might be in less than perfect condition. 

When Ohioans go to the polls to vote early in person, they are asked to wear a mask. If they don’t have one, polls will provide one. But what happens if the voter refuses that offer? 

Early voting is underway in Ohio, so voters who ordered ballots by mail will begin receiving those soon. But thousands of voters will go to their local boards of elections to cast ballots in person, starting today.

Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), who took some of the most aggressive actions in the country early in the pandemic, says he agrees with President Donald Trump that people should not let the coronavirus "dominate" their lives. However, DeWine adds that people should be cautious and still take it seriously.

Ohio Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-Columbus) says she’s not surprised that President Trump, upon arriving back to the White House after his hospital stay for COVID-19, removed his mask and downplayed the serious nature of the virus. 

A federal court in Cleveland has dismissed a lawsuit brought against Secretary of State Frank LaRose to add more ballot drop boxes. It is a somewhat confusing ruling.