On April 18th, a federal district court in Ohio ruled against activist attorney Marc Elias, giving election integrity backers their day in court. Elias filed a lawsuit against the Ohio Secretary of State objecting to HB 458, a law establishing new election safeguards, enacted in January. Elias’s flimsy complaint seeks to further his radical and extreme agenda of disempowering state lawmakers from enacting laws that protect the integrity and sanctity of our elections. RITE is backing two Ohio citizens whose interests as voters and poll workers are protected by the new laws. HB 458 establishes a series of commonsense voting safeguards, such as photo ID requirements to confirm voter identity that courts have repeatedly found to be lawful. Key provisions of the new law include:

• Requiring a photo ID to confirm a voter’s identity
• Providing Ohio citizens access to a free photo ID
• Giving voters four days post-election to cure ballots
• Adjusting deadlines to ensure more timely election results
• Permitting one secure mail ballot drop box per county that must be accessible 24 hours a day

The new voting law protects Ohio’s election system, bolsters voter confidence, and ensures all Ohioans have access to free photo IDs. RITE will argue that these new measures, which promote meaningful democratic self-government and efficient election administration, are supported by decades of Supreme Court precedent.

###