April 2, 2025
OHIO — Today, All Voting is Local Ohio released “The Uncounted Ballots of 2024 and the 34,000 Ohioans Silenced at the Ballot Box,” a report that reveals 34,364 provisional ballots were not counted in the 2024 election – 10,000 more than the number of provisional ballots rejected during the 2020 election. The report finds that there has been a significant increase in rejected provisional ballots since the beginning of 2023, and the effects of HB 458 and other anti-voter policies and actions, such as voter purges, carried out by Ohio’s officials are far-reaching and apolitical – they are felt across Ohio regardless of where you live.
In 2024, All Voting is Local released “The State of Provisional Ballots Post-HB 458 in Ohio” detailing the Ohio General Assembly’s January 2023 passing of HB 458’s voter ID restriction and its impact on Ohio voters, which resulted in in a substantial increase in provisional ballots being rejected due to voters being unable to comply. Now, following HB 458’s implementation, tens of thousands of voters have been required to use a provisional ballot when voting, a drastic increase compared to the steady decline in the use of provisional ballots in previous elections.
“In many races across Ohio, the outcome was decided by just one or two votes, counties like Marion and Jefferson in particular were decided by a single vote. The rejection of more than 34,000 ballots has serious implications on the outcome of the election,” said Kayla Griffin, Ohio State Director for All Voting is Local. “There has been a significant increase in the number of rejected provisional ballots over the last four years, a troubling pattern for Ohioans who cast their votes to have their voice heard in our elections. At All Voting, we are committed to fighting back against these attempts to prevent voters from playing a part in our democracy.”
Over the last several years, anti-voter policies in Ohio have led to more ballot rejections and greater disenfranchisement. Additionally, the Secretary of State’s office ramped up voter registration purges leading up to the 2024 election, resulting in 154,995 voters being purged from the rolls. If Ohio doesn’t remedy this issue, the state can expect long-lasting consequences for its elections.