More than 1,500 late ballots from last month’s primary were tossed out across Ohio, according to recently-certified election results.
It was the first election under new rules that eliminated a four-day grace period for late, mail-in ballots. Now, any ballot arriving to the Board of Elections after 7:30 p.m. on Election Day is invalid.
Collin Marozzi, the advocacy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, called it the Republican legislature’s latest attempt to disenfranchise voters.
"We don't believe voters should be punished for something that's completely out of their control, which is mail delays and delays in delivery," he said.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose defended the new law as “more intuitive." He said the number of late ballots is on track with previous primaries in 2024, 2022 and 2020.
“What we’re showing with the recent performance is it has not had a negative impact on anybody," LaRose said at the Akron Press Club on May 29.
The new deadline is easier for voters to remember than the previous grace periods, he said.
“It gets confusing for people. It’s very easy to understand that ballots have to be in by Election Day," LaRose said.
1,564 late ballots were not counted across Ohio, according to data from the Ohio Secretary of State's office. That includes 246 in Cuyahoga County; 56 in Summit; 35 in Stark.
That's down significantly from the 2024 primary, in which more than 7,000 ballots arrived after election day, according to the Secretary of State's office.
The ACLU of Ohio is focused on public education: Marozzi said they're urging people to get ballots mailed in early, and if it's close to election day, physically going to the local Board of Elections and using the secure drop box.
LaRose encouraged people to use his office's online absentee ballot tracker.
Early absentee voting for the 2026 general election beings Oct. 6. Election Day is Nov. 3.
