Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal

A coalition of government watchdog groups are warning state legislation could hobble Ohio’s initiative process. Direct democracy has been available to Ohioans since 1912, and citizen-led groups can organize initiated statutes or constitutional amendments.

The proposals would create strict new paperwork requirements and add other administrative hurdles like requiring many circulators wear a badge identifying themselves as “paid” even if they’re given something as small as a pen for signature collection.

Above and beyond changes to the initiative process, the bills would also eliminate ballot drop boxes and require all voters to show proof of citizenship to cast a ballot....

In a final message ahead of Election Day, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose reminded voters about basic procedures like bringing a photo ID and what to expect as returns begin rolling in on Tuesday night.

Despite holding the briefing to keep voters informed, LaRose refused to allow the Ohio Capital Journal to attend in person. This story was reported via an Ohio Channel livestream.

Election Night reporting

As of Friday morning, almost 1.4 million Ohioans had already cast their ballot in this November’s election. But with Election Day drawing close, Ohio’s Secretary of State and watch dog organizations have filed new lawsuits tied to voting.

Secretary Frank LaRose’s case related to his ability to investigate supposed noncitizen registrations and has no real chance of affecting who can vote in the current election. But as election watchdogs have argued for months, it could serve as fodder for future claims of election fraud if the election doesn’t go a certain way.

Meanwhile, the ACLU of Ohio is challenging LaRose’s office for reinstating a questionnaire used if naturalized citizens are challenged at the polls. In 2006, a federal court permanently blocked the underlying state statute requiring naturalized Ohioans provide proof of their citizenship to vote. The ACLU case asks the court to force LaRose to issue a directive to county boards ordering them not to use the form. ...

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced six indictments for voter fraud Tuesday stemming from referrals made by Secretary of State Frank LaRose earlier this year. Even as Yost insisted on the importance of the investigations and prosecutions he sought to calibrate the scope of the issue.

Voting is a “sacred right” Yost insisted, and the six charges represent less than 1% of the referrals made by LaRose’s office. The AG added he doesn’t expect jail time in any of the cases and expressed minor frustrations with the quality of referrals.

Still, after a months-long drumbeat about alleged voter fraud, Yost’s announcement coming just two weeks before Election Day could fuel claims of a stolen election. ...

County election officials around Ohio are seeing scores if not hundreds of voter registration challenges on the eve of the 2024 election. Cleveland.com recently detailed the extent of the effort, led in large part by an organization that grew out of efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Meanwhile, The Akron Beacon Journal reported on a parallel effort to challenge Ohio’s voter rolls in federal court — this time led by a different organization committed to finding widespread alleged voter fraud. Ohio’s Republican Attorney General and Secretary of State have dismissed those claims as “palpably baseless” and urged the court to dismiss the case. Similar lawsuits have been filed in at least six other states.

With this flood of registration challenges, voting rights groups have sprung into action. In a Thursday letter to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the ACLU, Brennan Center, Common Cause and the League of Women Voters argued voters are being improperly removed after the federally mandated 90-day cut off and notice-and-waiting period provisions. ...