Ohio Republicans want end of registration, voting overlap window

Ohio Republicans are looking to get rid of the week-long period in which new Ohio voters can register and then immediately cast a ballot.

The window of opportunity to register and cast saw plenty of contention in the 2008 Election cycle, with Republicans arguing that the period opens up the process to election fraud.

Republicans are looking to introduce a bill that would require Ohioans wishing to vote early to be registered at least 30 days before the start of absentee voting. Currently, early voting begins 35 days before the election, and Ohioans must be registered within 30 days of the Election Day.

The bill is being sponsored by state Sen. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati).

The GOP sued Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to stop the window before the Nov. 4 election, but courts upheld the window.

However, some election law experts are saying that federal law prohibits a registration deadline from being earlier than 30 days before Election Day. Federal law says registration must not end earlier than 30 days before an election.

The GOP bill includes other provisions that would address contentious issues between Brunner and the GOP in the 2008 cycle. One of these would require Ohio's secretary of state to turn over mismatches in new voter registrations to county election boards. County boards would then be responsible to contact such voters to get an explanation for the discrepancy in question.

The bill also seeks to allow outside observers at early-voting sites. Brunner had said during this election cycle that the law does not permit such observers, but she was overruled by the Ohio Supreme Court.