Several groups are suing Ohio over a brand new law that will require voters to present photo ID at the polls and tighten the timeline for mail-in ballots.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation Friday that would make sweeping changes to the state's election laws, including the photo ID requirement. It also limits ballot drop boxes and requires mail-in ballots to arrive within four days of the election, instead of the 10 allowed under previous law.
As part of the new ID rules, Ohioans 17 and older will be eligible to receive a free state ID card.
GOP lawmakers rushed the bill through the Legislature's lame-duck session late last year. Lawmakers and Secretary of State Frank LaRose said the changes are necessary to restore trust in the election process. But the lawsuit cast the new rules as an "an all-sides attack on the voting process" that will create challenges for voters, particularly the elderly, military voters and people of color.
The lawsuit also says the changes stem from false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election.
"By their own admission, Secretary LaRose and Governor DeWine have no justification for this harsh crackdown on voting rights," said Abha Khanna, a partner with the Democratic firm Elias Law Group. "While election fraud is virtually nonexistent in...
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