Senate Bill 293, which would eliminate the four-day grace period for mail-in votes, has Democrats and voting rights groups up in arms.

A bill to require absentee ballots arrive at boards of elections by election day—eliminating the four day grace period in current law--is headed to Gov. Mike DeWine.

The bill, Ohio Senate Bill 293, eliminates a grace period for absentee ballots post-marked by Election Day to arrive by mail, which GOP lawmakers have been whittling away in recent years.

Ohio politicians owe it to Ohio voters to get it right and defend their constituents’ access to the ballot, not limit it due to federal pressure. That's why Gov. DeWine should veto SB 293, write guest columnists Collin Marozzi,

Ohio Republicans are mulling election changes as President Donald Trump targets absentee ballots and noncitizen voting.

COLUMBUS — The Ohio legislature voted Wednesday to eliminate a four-day post-election grace period that allowed several thousand mail-in absentee ballots across the state to be counted in the 2024 presidential election. The vote came weeks after the state was threatened by the U.S. Department of Justice.

What appears to be an intense 2026 election season kicks off behind the scenes in Ohio. Secretary of State Frank LaRose directed county boards of elections to begin reprogramming registration systems with new district boundaries.

The Ohio House approves Senate Bill 293, which would require mail-in ballots to arrive by Election Day to be counted.

The bill would end Ohio’s absentee ballot grace period and add new voter registration reviews. Lawmakers Josh Williams and Theresa Gavarone supported the measure.