Democrats introduce bill to reform Ohio’s Ballot Board

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and the rest of the Ohio Ballot Board approve the language of a proposed anti-gerrymandering amendment that is likely to appear on the ballot next year. (Photo by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal.)

Democratic lawmakers are introducing a bill that would reform Ohio’s Ballot Board.  

State Reps. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, and Terrence Upchurch, D-Cleveland, wrote the bill that would re-shape who is on the ballot board with the hope of fostering more bipartisan cooperation. 

“It is clear that our current system and makeup of the Ohio Ballot Board is broken and fails to meet the high standards that Ohio voters deserve during crucial elections,” Piccolantonio said Friday during a press conference. 

Upchurch is a member of the current ballot board, which is chaired by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Also on the board are state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green; Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson, D-Toledo; and William Morgan. Other than the Secretary of State, members of the board’s terms expire in February. 

The Republican-controlled ballot board has been scrutinized by Democrats recently over Issue 1 ballot language, the words voters see when they are in the voting booth. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — JANUARY 10: Newly sworn in State Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, speaks during the Ohio House session, January 10, 2024, at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal)

“The reason that we need to take action is because of failed leadership of the Republican-led ballot board,” Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said during the press conference. “A handful of power hungry politicians have used this ballot board as a political tool for years to write dishonest language with the goal of deceiving, misleading and defrauding voters. … Voters are tired of the ballot board’s partisan actions, its lies, its mismanagement and its leadership failures. The system, though, is not too broken. It can be fixed.”

There was controversy over ballot language last year, first with the failed Issue 1 in the August special election that would have made it harder to amend the state’s constitution and again with the successful reproductive rights constitutional amendment during the November election. 

“Rather than fairly and accurately conduct the business of designing and improving ballot language that properly identify the substance of the proposals to be voted on, they did their best to rig the system with false and misleading language, hoping to trick voters at the ballot box,” Piccolantonio said. “But Ohio voters are too smart for these games despite what Republicans think of them.”

This new bill would limit who can serve on the ballot board by banning the appointments of lobbyists and politicians, she said. 

Two of the appointees would be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the Minority of the House and the other two members would be appointed by the Senate President and Minority Leader of the Senate. 

No more than two of the appointed members would be from the same political party. 

This piece of legislation would also restructure the ballot board slightly. There would be co-chairs of opposite parties, including the secretary of state.

“The ballot board is meant to work for all of us and with these changes, we can ensure that it does,” Piccolantonio said. 

She plans to find Republican lawmakers who will work with her and “understand it is our job to be serving the citizens and not serving our political parties.” 

“I don’t think it should be a partisan issue whether or not our issues that are on the ballot accurately reflect the intent of the people who put them there,” she said. 

This bill protects Republicans as well, Russo said. 

“The reality is they will not forever hold the secretary of state position, so as we move into the future, this reform ensures that no matter who holds that role, Republican or Democrat, the ballot board functions in a nonpartisan way that it is intended to function as it is set forth in the constitution,” she said. 

Russo acknowledged that even though the chances of passing the bill before the end of the General Assembly are slim, this opens the door to conversation about the ballot board. The legislature will come back the week after the election and the current General Assembly ends this year. 

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