In the nick of time, more than 300,000 Ohioans signed a petition to overturn a bill that would have “shortened the early voting window and would have made other changes to election laws.” The bill, HB 194, was supposed to go into effect tomorrow–in time for the November 8 election– but may now be up for a voter referendum next year.
“The petition signatures will be sent to county boards of elections for verification. If at least 231,147 are valid, the law will be put to a vote in Nov. 2012,” the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
“Republicans who support the law say it brings much-needed uniformity to Ohio elections,” while opponents, including former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, “contend the changes amount to voter suppression because they restrict practices that increase voter turnout among minorities.”