(COLUMBUS, OH, 12/12/22)– On Wednesday, December 7th, the Outreach Director of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), Victoria Hickcox, testified to the Ohio House Government Oversight Committee in opposition to House Bill 294, the Enact Ohio Election Security and Modernization Act.
While House Bill 294 is masked as legislation to create a more secure election process, it includes a host of anti-voter provisions like limiting access to ballot drop boxes, imposing confusing voter-ID requirements, canceling early voting the Monday before Election Day, and shortening the absentee ballot request period, to name a few.
In 2020, Ohio conducted one of the most secure elections in its history with record-breaking voter turnout. While 2020 saw historic turnout for the presidential election, voter suppression remains a critical issue and research shows it persists and reflects racial discrimination in the voting process (“The Impact of Voter Suppression on Communities of Color,” Brennan Center for Justice).
House Bill 294 is legislation that will feed into voter suppression and reflect racial discrimination in the voting process. Additionally, this bill would create more barriers to the ballot box and make it harder for Ohioans to vote.
Some of the measures this bill will enforce include, eliminating the last day of early voting, limiting County Boards of Election to three drop boxes, restricting set up to county board offices, and permitting their use starting only 28 days before an election.
Additionally, the Sub. House Bill 294 requires citizenship status to be listed on Ohio driver’s licenses.
This sub bill would have a chilling impact on immigrants and noncitizens, outside of the consideration of voting. Based on discrimination complaints and issues that clients face, CAIR-Ohio recognizes that immigrants from across the world are often misclassified due to bias.
“Outlining a person’s citizen status on their ID will potentially open doors for discrimination, prejudice, and oppression in the most basic interactions.” said Hickcox.
Together, all these measures along with most of the new provisions would disproportionately impact Black and brown voters, students, voters with disabilities, low-income Ohioans, active-duty military, rural voters, and seniors.
To learn more, visit Ohio Voter Rights Coalition website.
Watch Victoria Hickox’s full witness testimony here.
