COLUMBUS – A proposal to let Ohioans register to vote online will not take effect until after this fall’s presidential election.
A Republican-dominated Ohio House committee changed the bill’s effective date on Tuesday to 2017.
The committee also scrapped a provision allowing Ohioans to declare their political party affiliation when registering to vote or updating their addresses. Voters currently are considered affiliated with the party whose ballot they last cast in a primary.
The chairman of the Government Accountability and Oversight Committee says he expects the panel to vote on the bill next week.
Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted expressed disappointment over the effective date, but he says moving the bill is good for voters.
“Online voter registration is more secure, more convenient and more cost effective than paper registration,” he said. “Moving this legislation forward is good for voters, good for taxpayers and good policy for Ohio. My administration will be ready to switch it on as soon as lawmakers give us the authority to do so.”
Husted says 35 other states offer online voter registration.