Butler County Today

COLUMBUS – House Bill 472, also known as the Ohio Votes Count Act, was recently introduced in the Ohio House, announced co-sponsor of the legislation, State Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester). The bill is sponsored by State Reps. Bernie Willis (R-Springfield) and Bob Peterson (R-Sabina).

The Ohio Votes Count Act aims to increase election integrity by reforming Ohio’s voter registration system and establishing cyber security protections and standards. "Elections are a pillar of democracy and are an issue of national security," said Gross. "As elected officials, we have a responsibility to uphold election integrity."

A few highlights of the bill are as follows:

- Utilizes reference lists of names and addresses to verify new and existing voter registration records;

- Requires the Auditor of State to conduct an annual audit of the statewide voter registration database; and

- Provides counties with resources to verify identity and citizenship prior to registration and for absentee and provisional ballot screening.

The Act awaits a House committee assignment.