08/20/2024

House Bill 472

Lead Sponsors: Representative Bernard Willis and Representative Bob Peterson

Status: Second hearing in House Government Oversight Committee (May 22, 2024)

Description: The bill makes several comprehensive and sweeping changes to Ohio's election system. This entry will list only a selection; please refer to the Legislative Service Commission's Bill Analysis for a more detailed analysis.

The bill requires county boards of elections to adopt policies regarding the use of hand-counted paper ballots instead of voting machines.

Requires all voting equipment to meet specific technological standards.

Requires election officials to compare an elector's photo ID with their appearance before allowing the elector to cast a ballot.

Prohibits boards of elections from opening and scanning mailed ballots before the close of polls on Election Day.

Requires boards of elections to independently verify for each provisional ballot that the caster is a U.S. citizen using BMV records, a government database, or a commercial service.

It requires boards of elections to have computerized voter registration systems that meet specific technical requirements.

Requires boards of elections to conduct or participate in several investigations related to voter registration records.

Requires boards of elections to carry out voter roll maintenance procedures weekly.

It allows any qualified elector of the state to challenge another elector's right to vote, including multiple electors at the same time, regardless of what county the individuals reside in.

LSC's Fiscal Analysis states that the bill carries uncertain but likely steep costs. For example, the voting machine provisions will require replacing every statewide voting machine. In the 132nd General Assembly, the state provided $114.5 million to assist counties in acquiring machines. Still, that cost will likely be higher now due to inflation and the increased technology required for machines.

In addition, LSC found that no Ohio-certified machines meet the required standards. This means that should the bill be enacted until machines become certified (a process that takes four to six months), all counties must use paper ballots and hand count results. Based on hand-counting cost-per-ballot estimates from LSC, hand-counting paper ballots may cost up to an additional $18.9 million statewide to conduct elections (ranging from an additional $18,518 in Vinton County to $1.94 million in Franklin County, using November 2022 turnout data). This does not consider potential staffing increases that county boards may need to accommodate the workload of counting paper ballots (in addition to the bill's other provisions).

CCAO Position: Opponent (no testimony)

Notes: The Ohio Association of Election Officials opposes the bill (an opponent testimony hearing has not occurred).

Senate Bill 274 is an identical companion bill.