OEC Action Fund Statement on Delay of HB 680

Columbus, OH - The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund joined scores of individuals and organizations speaking out in opposition to House Bill 680 (HB 680) over the past few months, specifically opposing the bill’s prohibition on prepaid postage for absentee ballots. Today, the Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee adjourned before moving on HB 680 as planned. The Committee Chairman, Senator Bill Coley (R-Liberty Twp.), halted the potential fast tracking of the bill through committee, citing the fact that these provisions would not go into effect before the November 3rd election.  

In opposition testimony before the Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee last week, OEC Action Fund urged the Senate to amend the bill to remove the prohibition on prepaying for postage on absentee ballots and:

  • Modernize Ohio’s Absentee application procedure. Incorporating provisions of the current SB 191 will ensure accessibility of Ohio’s vote-by-mail system by allowing voters to request a vote-by-mail absentee ballot online, without needing to print and mail in an application. 

  • Make early and absentee voting safer and easier. Three simple additions: (1) pre-pay for postage for absentee ballots; (2) providing for multiple early in-person voting centers per county; and (3) permitting counties to have more than one secure drop box per county.

  • Respect the intention of Ohio voters. Elections officials should be instructed to accept all absentee ballots postmarked through Election Day and refrain from discarding absentee ballots based on errors or technicalities.

The following statement can be attributed to Trent Dougherty, General Counsel of the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund:

“Especially in the face of a pandemic that has put our lives and livelihoods in jeopardy, Ohioans deserve true reforms that modernize our election process, not rollbacks that disenfranchise voters or put them at risk. 

“Pulling the plug on House Bill 680 is the right thing to do. As currently written, HB 680 unjustifiably would tie the hands of the current and future Secretaries of State and add more roadblocks to our most fundamental right. We hope after this election, that the legislature is willing to seriously work to modernize our election system so all eligible Ohioans have the chance to safely and securely cast their ballot.”

You can read OEC Action Fund’s Opponent Testimony here. To the extent that HB 680 passes, the OEC Action Fund will be doing extensive public education on the content and the votes on this legislation due to its adverse impact to Ohio’s democracy and ultimately Ohio's environment and the health of Ohioans.

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