COLUMBUS, Ohio - After controversy involving the state's ballot boxes, the state could be seeing more absentee ballot drop boxes in each Ohio county. 

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Richard Frye granted a preliminary injunction for Secretary of State Frank LaRose to stop allowing only one drop box to be used per county in November's election.

The preliminary injunction, which was ordered on Wednesday, explained that LaRose must immediately cease enforcing the limitation of one absentee ballot drop box per county set out in his August 12 directive. 

Judge Frye made the original ruling on Tuesday, saying the law does not allow Secretary of State Frank LaRose to limit the number of ballot boxes to one per county.

The judge said more boxes will help votes stay more secure.

A spokesperson for LaRose said the ruling didn't change anything and the Secretary's directive remained in place, meaning one ballot box per county.

The drop boxes are used for voters who are turning in their absentee ballots physically, instead of sending them through the mail, and are all currently parked outside of each county board of elections. 

LaRose plans to appeal the injunction and released this statement from his press secretary Maggie Sheehan. 

"Secretary LaRose is pleased that the court cleared the way for his appeal of this very important issue and that the judge stayed his ruling pending the outcome of the appeal.  Secretary LaRose believes the law is clear about the very limited ways that absentee ballots may be returned to county boards of elections under Ohio law. Specifically, it states absentee ballots “must be delivered by mail or personally deliver[ed] to the director” of their county board of elections and “in no other manner”. At the Secretary’s direction, the Attorney General has filed the Notice of Appeal."

 

The Ohio Democratic Party, which is listed as the plaintiff in this lawsuit, released a statement Wednesday as well.

“This is another big win for voters, and it’s a shame we had to waste a day of Frank LaRose refusing to follow a judicial decision. Now we call on LaRose to make good on his public commitment to allow boards of elections to expand the use of secure dropboxes -- something he repeatedly said he would support once a court clarified the law. If LaRose chooses to appeal, we will continue to fight on behalf of Ohio voters.”