Civil rights leaders release letter to Ohio legislators denouncing Sub HB 458 as a blatant attack on voting freedoms

December 14, 2022

COLUMBUS – Today, civil rights leaders released the following letter to Ohio legislators urging them to vote NO on Sub. HB 458: 

Speaker of the House Bob Cupp, Senate President Matt Huffman, and Governor Mike Dewine: 

All Ohioans deserve to exercise our power at the ballot box. 

Recently, extremist Republican politicians have inserted terrible new voting restrictions into Ohio law by passing Substitute House Bill 458 – a harmful anti-voter bill that will take away our freedom to vote and make our voices heard. Sub HB 458 is legislation that disproportionately targets Black, brown, and naturalized Ohioans.  Ohio legislators should be seeking ways to expand voter participation, not disempowering certain voters from the franchise. 

With Tuesday’s surprise amendment, the Senate Local Government Committee has transformed a simple bill to eliminate August special elections into a complete election overhaul. Sub HB 458 disenfranchises voters of color  by creating significant barriers to voting and massive confusion at the polls.  Such significant changes in the voting rules, should have allowed the public more than a few hours notice to review and provide testimony; given the impact these amendments will have on our communities.

The future of our communities – particularly Black and brown Ohioans – is gravely impacted by this legislation, if Sub HB 458 passes.  Voters will lose many important voting freedoms including:

  • The freedom to register to vote and vote with an alternate form of ID such as a utility bill, government document, or paycheck. Voters will be forced to provide a strict photo ID to vote, whether voting by absentee ballot, or in person on Election Day, or provisionally;

  • The freedom to vote provisionally with the last four digits of their Social Security Number, unless they have religious exemption that excuses them from the strict photo ID requirement;

  • Voters will be punished by slow mail delivery. Voters will have their absentee ballots thrown out if their ballots are not received by the close of polls on Election Day (this shorter deadline applies to overseas and military voters as well). Previously absentee ballots that contained a timely postmark were counted as long as the post office delivered ballots to the boards of elections within 10 days following Election Day;

  • Voters will lose access to dropboxes by limiting Boards of Election to a single drop box location, open only during business hours only, and limited to the early voting period.  This change ignores the geographical and population differences across our 88 counties.

  • Non-citizens risk being targeted and harassed by a new requirement to list citizenship status on Ohio driver’s license.

  • Grandchildren will continue to be prohibited from dropping off their grandparents’ absentee ballots.  

  • Voters will lose the last Monday day of early voting.  It is the second most popular day of early voting. Hours that were previously codified in Sub. HB 294 will be eliminated.

There are many ways we could improve voting and elections in Ohio: same-day registration, automatic voter registration, multiple early vote centers, additional drop boxes, and so much more. 

None of the unnecessary voting restrictions in Sub HB458 actually solve any problems: they’re simply attacking our freedom to vote. 

That’s why we are urging you to take action now, end this blatant attack on our rights, and vote NO on Sub. HB 458. 

Our FREEDOM TO VOTE is sacred. Our fundamental freedom to make our voices heard through our ballot is currently under attack and we demand strong leadership to stand with us to protect it. 


Tom Roberts, Dayton Ohio
President, Ohio Conference of NAACP 

Rev Michael Harrison, Youngstown Ohio

President, State Baptist Convention 

Pierrette M. Talley, Toledo Ohio
Executive Director, Ohio Coalition on Black Civic Participation 

Andre Washington, Columbus Ohio
President, A. Philip Randolph Institute 

Jeniece Brock, Akron Ohio

Policy & Advocacy Director, Ohio Organizing Collaborative

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