WASHINGTON –Today, Reps. Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Elections; Marcy Kaptur (OH-9); Joyce Beatty (OH-3); and Tim Ryan (OH-13); along with U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), sent a letter to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose urging him to use his existing authority to provide prepaid return postage on ballots and ballot applications.  Nothing in Ohio law prohibits LaRose from prepaying return postage for both ballots and mail-in ballot applications, and the Ohio lawmakers demanded he use that existing authority to eliminate voting barriers and ensure a free and fair election in November.

“In an election where many citizens’ only practical option is to vote by mail, forcing Ohioans to pay postage in order to exercise this right is akin to a modern-day poll tax.  Nothing in the Ohio code prohibits you from prepaying return postage on both ballot application forms and ballots themselves,” wrote the lawmakers.

The lawmakers also urged Sec. LaRose to communicate with the Postal Service to ensure ballots that originate in Ohio are delivered on time, with visible postmarks, and do not succumb to delays and cost cutting measures, which could endanger timely delivery of vote by mail ballots.

In August, Reps. Fudge, Kaptur, and Ryan and Sen. Brown sent a letter to the Ohio Controlling Board urging the Board to confirm Secretary LaRose’s existing authority to prepay postage for absentee ballots and ballot applications for the upcoming 2020 General Election in Ohio.

Reps. Fudge, Kaptur, Beatty, and Ryan and Sen. Brown also sent a letter to Sec. LaRose in August, urging him to reconsider his decision to prohibit local boards of election from providing multiple secure ballot drop boxes in each county.  In the wake of an ongoing, unprecedented public health crisis, Secretary LaRose banned county boards of elections from providing more than one ballot drop box for completed absentee ballots.

A breakdown of Ohio voters per drop box in each county can be found here.

For the text of the letter, click here.

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