NW Ohio Times

State Senators Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) and Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) have introduced Senate Bill 274, aimed at enhancing the security and efficiency of Ohio's elections.

Senate Bill 274 seeks to address cybersecurity threats and improve voter registration and election administration processes. "The goal of government should always be to continue to improve our processes and procedures. Ohio has made major strides to enhance our elections, specifically to keep them secure while maintaining accessibility to the ballot box," said Gavarone. "Senate Bill 274 builds upon this essential work through comprehensive, 21st century updates to our elections system."

"As technology continues to update and change, we must ensure that our elections and the systems in place are protected from outside entities," stated Brenner. "This legislation continues to make Ohio's elections as safe and secure as possible and brings them up to date with the 21st century."

The bill proposes several updates aimed at countering growing cybersecurity threats. "Technology is rapidly evolving, which means that our systems must be constantly updated to prevent bad actors from threatening our elections," noted Gavarone. "This bill has multiple tools to keep our elections safe."

Additionally, Senate Bill 274 seeks to streamline voter registration systems by increasing reviews for ineligible voters and providing counties with resources for identity verification. It mandates that Ohioans register using their state driver's license or ID, aligning with existing laws for early voting, absentee voting, or Election Day participation.

"I was proud to write the law that requires a photo ID to vote," Gavarone remarked. "Extending that policy to voter registration will make the full process for Ohio voters simple and seamless from when they register to when they show up to vote. Most importantly it will further protect our elections from potential fraud."

Gavarone has previously sponsored legislation focused on election security. In the 133rd General Assembly, she sponsored Senate Bill 52 establishing the Ohio Cyber Reserve for protecting election infrastructure and requiring audits of general election results in even-numbered years by boards of elections. She also sponsored the DATA Act, which streamlines election data for increased transparency and voter confidence; portions of this were incorporated into HB 33, the state's main operating budget.

Senate Bill 274 now awaits referral to a committee.

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