Biden’s ballot correction bill and a foreign exchange bill now go to the governor. DeWine.
Twenty-three Ohio Senate Republicans joined Democrats Friday in a special legislative session to pass a bill extending the state’s ballot certification deadline to make President Joe Biden eligible to vote general of November.
The bill’s passage comes despite a decision by the Democratic National Committee earlier this week that completely sidesteps the original timing issue.
The state Senate also passed a bill that would ban foreign campaign contributions. It passed without any Democratic support.
Both bills passed the State House on Thursday and will now go to the governor. Mike DeWine’s office for his signature. The Republican governor called the bill into a special session this week to address those issues.
Once DeWine signs the bill, Ohio’s ballot certification deadline will be August 1. August 23, following the Democratic Party nomination convention, which begins August 23. 19.
Earlier this week, the DNC announced it would virtually nominate the president before its in-person convention to circumvent the need for a deadline extension in Ohio. With Biden’s ballot passing in the state, the DNC’s plan is no longer necessary — but the DNC has said it plans to move forward with its virtual nomination of Biden by roll call before the 1st of August. 7, Ohio’s original deadline.
In a statement, a DNC spokesperson said they had “already” taken their own action despite “Ohio Republican shenanigans” to pass a separate bill during the special legislative session, banning foreign campaign contributions — a bill Democrats say is a direct response to last year’s ballot measure that enshrined abortion protections in the state constitution.
“Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states, and we are already taking steps to ensure that is the case, regardless of the shenanigans of the Ohio Republicans,” said Hannah Muldavin, spokesperson. principal of the DNC, in a press release.
Several Republicans did not vote to pass Biden’s ballot correction bill. Others said they would support him, even in light of the historic conviction of former President Donald Trump on Thursday.
“This bill gives me heartburn. And while Democrats are openly trying, nationally, to suppress votes by weaponizing the justice system and their shenanigans – shenanigans and kangaroo courts, it’s tempting to say to the DNC that if you can’t follow existing law in Ohio, then you don’t deserve to have your candidate on the ballot,” the Republican senator said. Kristina Roegner in the Senate on Friday.
“But two wrongs don’t make a right. And we won’t stoop to their level,” Roegner added.
Democrats applauded Republicans for allowing Biden to appear on Ohio’s ballot.
“We currently have a very divided country and I hope that actions such as [those] We are currently using House Bill Two as an example of how we can work together. As my colleagues opposite have just said: fight a fair fight, fight it. I think it’s great,” said Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio.
After both bills passed, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who initially alerted Democrats to Biden’s voting access gap in April, simply applauded the adoption by the General Assembly of the bill on foreign currency.
“As I have said, Ohioans deserve to have confidence in the integrity of our elections. While there has been a concentrated effort to confuse this issue through aggressive flops and misinformation, the issue is simple: foreign nationals should not be able to interfere with our elections,” LaRose said in a statement.
“The legislation passed today is an aggressive step to prohibit foreign nationals from financing Ohio’s elections and further strengthens Ohio’s position as a national leader in election integrity. I applaud the General Assembly for acting quickly to close this campaign finance gap and call on every state, as well as Congress, to enact similar measures.