ELECTIONS Ohio Legislature

State lawmakers have introduced 11 bills this year dealing with how votes are counted:
House Bills
H.B. 5 -- Would require that voters be instructed to remove partially attached chads before returning ballots to election officials and would require election boards with punch-card systems to have teams to inspect the ballots. It also would require members of the armed services who will be out of the United States to mail absentee ballots to the director of the board of elections before the close of the polls on Election Day. The measure stipulates that those ballots will be counted if received by a specified time whether or not the ballot is postmarked or has an illegible postmark. It also allows help for handicapped voters and creates a committee to investigate and recommend improvements to the voting system. Sponsored by Rep. J. Tom Lendrum, R-Huron.
H.B. 14 -- Would require election judges to remove all chads hanging by only one or two corners before votes are counted. Sponsored by Rep. Bryan Flannery, D-Lakewood.
H.B. 22 -- Would prohibit ballots that list competing candidates or issues on both sides of the area to be marked by the voter. Sponsored by Rep. Dale Miller, D-Cleveland.
H.B. 23 -- Would create a committee to investigate and recommend improvements to the voting system. It also allocates $250,000 for the committee to use experts while conducting the study. Also sponsored by Miller.
H.B. 59 -- Would require members of the armed services who will be out of the United States to mail absentee ballots to the director of the board of elections before the close of the polls on Election Day. It also stipulates that those ballots will be counted if received by a specified time whether or not the ballot is postmarked or has an illegible postmark. Sponsored by Rep. Kirk Schuring, R-Canton.
H.B. 87 -- Contains the same requirements as H.B. 59, but also generally would require the return envelopes on those ballots to contain an Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office postmark. Sponsored by Rep. John Boccieri, D-New Middletown.
H.B. 92 -- Would prohibit the secretary of state from endorsing a candidate or participating in a candidate's campaign. A violation would be considered a first-degree misdemeanor. Sponsored by Rep. Steve Driehaus, D-Cincinnati.
H.B. 124 -- Would allow any qualified voter to vote with an absentee ballot and removes many of the qualifications in Ohio law regarding absentee ballots. Sponsored by Rep. Wayne Coates, D-Forest Park.
H.B. 140 -- Would declare Election Day of each even-numbered year a legal holiday for which state, county and township employees would be paid and on which schools may be dismissed. It also would require polls to be open from 5:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. and has the same absentee-ballot provisions as H.B. 124. Sponsored by Rep. Ron Rhine, D-Springfield.
Senate Bills
S.B. 6 -- Contains the provisions in H.B. 14, but also would require that voters be instructed to remove partially attached chads before returning ballots to election officials. Sponsored by Sen. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark.
S.B. 13 -- Similar to H.B. 59. Sponsored by Sen. W. Scott Oelslager, R-Canton.