On Wednesday, the Ohio General Assembly took swift action to provide critical emergency funding to Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose requested the $9 million appropriation to help elections officials manage the unprecedented demands of preparing for the upcoming May 3rd primary election.
He said they’re facing one of the most challenging elections in the history of our state, second only to the pandemic election of 2020. They’re working triple overtime in some cases, all while dealing with supply chain issues and a very short timeframe to make sure candidates get certified, ballots get printed, and voting machines get programmed and tested.
LaRose added that a nearly five-month delay in getting U.S. Census data to the Redistricting Commission combined with the nearly six months consumed by court delays related to ongoing litigation over district plans has put the boards of elections in a difficult...but not impossible situation.