Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has urged that the current state electoral laws be allowed to work rather than tinkering with it all the time.

While responding to a recent directive to counties and Ohio lawmakers by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose regarding dropping off of absentee ballots, Governor DeWine who said he was yet to speak to Secretary LaRose about it said, “Let’s see how this current system works. Let’s stop tinkering with it all the time.”

“What I have said and will continue to say is that we have a great system in this state of Ohio now. We have done some changes in the past,” said Governor DeWine.

“If there are some reasons that we really fear cheating, then sure, I am always open to changing the law.

“The thing I will emphasize to Ohio voters is this ‘your votes would be counted in Ohio.’

I don’t know how they do it in other states. I must tell you in Ohio State that we do it very well.”

Secretary LaRose issued a directive last Friday requiring person delivering an absentee ballot for another person to sign an attestation that they are complying with state law — which means they must go into the board of elections to sign the form.

“As a practical matter, this means that only a voter’s personal ballot may be returned via drop box,” said LaRose.

In 2023, Ohio House Bill 458 changed state law so the only people allowed to deliver a sealed absentee ballot besides the voter are members of the postal service or specific relatives.

This includes a spouse, a parent, grandparent, child, sibling, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew. It excludes caregivers, employees of a care facility, grandchildren, cousins, neighbors, friends and anyone else unrelated.

Reports also monitored in Democracy Docket said “In a statement to local affiliate Fox 19, LaRose defended the directive but also seemed to blame the federal court decision.

“It is my duty to maintain the careful balance between security and convenience,” he said. “Unfortunately, recent irresponsible activist litigation upset that balance and created an unacceptable level of risk to the integrity of our process. I was left no choice but to implement this thoughtful and balanced policy in response.”

LaRose said in the directive that Ohio’s “prohibition on ballot harvesting is still required to be enforced with respect to voters who are not disabled.”

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