COLUMBUS, Ohio - A Republican backed bill that changes the deadline for mail-in absentee ballots to be counted in Ohio is now headed to Governor Mike DeWine for his signature after passing the General Assembly.

Senate Bill 293, sponsored by State Senator Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, and State Senator Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, would require that all absentee ballots sent by mail must be delivered to the county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. when the polls close on Election Day.

Democrats in both houses unanimously opposed the bill. Only one Republican Senator voted against it.

The bill eliminates the current practice that allows a grace period for mailed absentee ballots to arrive after Election Day and still be counted. The bill does provide an exception for ballots from uniformed services and overseas voters.

Supporters of Senate Bill 293 argue the change is necessary to protect the integrity of Ohio's elections.

Senator Gavarone stated that "Election Day is election day for a reason," and believes that "Allowing ballots to be delivered days after the election does nothing but hurt the integrity and credibility of our elections".

Senator Brenner added that the legislation will ensure Ohio is "abiding by Federal election law and President Trump's executive order".

In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Attorney General to enforce federal law against states that count absentee ballots received after Election Day.

The bill’s sponsors note that 34 other states, including Ohio’s neighboring states of Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, already have the same deadline this bill imposes.

Opponents of the bill, including State Representative Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, argue that the legislation places unnecessary obstacles for voters.

Rep. McNally condemned the bill, saying it is "going to hurt people who want to vote but may not be able to make it to the polls on election day". She emphasized that Ohio's elections are already safe, and the bill will only "restrict access to democracy".

Opponents believe that requiring all mailed ballots to arrive by the close of polls on Election Day creates a barrier for citizens who legally exercise their right to vote by mail but may be impacted by postal service delays.

They point out that nearly 1 million Ohioans voted by absentee mail-in ballot or drop box in 2024, and thousands of those ballots might not have been counted under this new law.

In addition to changing the ballot deadline, the legislation also includes procedures that could cancel voter registrations if other state agency databases show different or incorrect information, which opponents warn could easily cancel a person's registration.

Senate Bill 293 now moves to the governor’s office, where Governor Mike DeWine will decide whether to sign the bill into law.