Weekly reporter roundtable

Published July 17, 2023 at 8:25 AM EDT

People wait in line outside the Franklin County Board of Elections to early vote. — A line of about 50 people waited to early vote in the Aug. 8 election on Issue 1 on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. The ballot questions asks voters whether or not it should be more difficult to pass a constitutional amendment in the state by raising the threshold to pass one to 60% of voters, up from 50%.

One week in early voter turnout for the special August 8 election is higher-than-expected, especially for a summertime election.

All has not gone smoothly – questions have been raised as Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose allows some absentee voter application forms to go forward while rejecting others.

Meanwhile, LaRose this morning made it official: he’s vying to become a U.S. Senator in 2024 — an unseat longtime Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in the process.

We discuss the latest election news, a deeper dive into the recently passed state budget and more on Weekly Reporter Roundtable show.

Host:

Amy Juravich, 89.7 NPR News Midday Host and assistant program director

Guests:

Haley BeMiller, political reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio bureau
Laura Hancock, statehouse reporter for cleveland.com
Karen Kasler, bureau chief for Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News

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