COLUMBUS, Ohio — Elias Law Group is suing the Ohio Secretary of State's Office on behalf of three organizations that say provisions in House Bill 458 could be deemed unconstitutional. They say strict voter ID requirements and mail-in ballot restrictions could hinder certain groups of people.

"We've seen more and more people over the years take advantage of early voting and mail-in voting," said Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers."This bill restricts the number of days that you have for mailing in a ballot for the ballot to get there and be counted afterward. So it just takes away opportunities for our members."

What You Need To Know

  • There's a pending lawsuit against the Secretary of State's Office regarding HB 458 

  • Groups are upset about the mail-in ballot provision and photo ID requirements 

  • Secretary of State Frank LaRose said HB 458 is good for the future of Ohio. 

​Cropper said they joined the lawsuit because this new law affects everyone, but especially teachers because many mail in their ballots due to busy schedules and not getting a chance to go in person to vote.

Christopher Knestrick is the executive director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition For The Homeless. He said he's a part of this lawsuit because this new law has made a requirement for a photo ID such as a driver's license, state ID or passport.

He said these are difficult to get for someone who is experiencing homelessness and could limit their access to voting.

"It's no easy task," Knestrick said. "I mean, in fact, we have a whole team that's dedicated to trying to figure out how to do that for people. And it's not easy."

He said people who are homeless first need to get approved for basic paperwork such as social security and birth certificates before getting a driver's license.

"Laws like this, like voter ID laws, are really infringing on our democracy," Knestrick said. "You know, this work is about, you know, making sure our people have their rights respected. Just because you're living outside or in a shelter or unhoused in some way, like you still have your fundamental right to be able to cast a ballot."

According to Elias Law Group, "This bill imposes needless and discriminatory burdens on Ohioans’ fundamental right to vote.”

Secretary of State Frank LaRose said this bill is the right decision for the future of Ohio.  

"One of the things Ohioans have been telling us for decades on both sides of the aisle is that they would like to see a stricter ID law in place," said LaRose in an interview with Spectrum News 1 political anchor Curtis Jackson on Capital This Week. "We've responded to that and done it in a smart way that doesn't disenfranchise voters but does take that important step forward."

LaRose said that each aspect of modern-day living makes people use diverse licenses.

"To get on an airplane, to walk into a government building, buy certain things at your corner convenience store, and to have the ability to get a free voter ID for anybody who doesn't have one," LaRose said.

Elias Law Group said this is still a pending piece of litigation and that lawsuits like this take time.