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Whether Counties Could Establish More Than One Absentee-Ballot Drop Box

Robert Timothy Reagan
October 25, 2023

A. Philip Randolph Institute of Ohio v. LaRose (Dan Aaron Polster, N.D. Ohio 1:20-cv-1908)
Because of social distancing made necessary by a global infectious pandemic, absentee voting was expected to be high. Because of the postal service’s recent reputation for poor service, many voters wanted to hand-deliver their absentee ballots. Ohio’s secretary of state allowed county election officials to establish one drop box per county, regardless of each county’s geographic or population size. A federal district judge issued an injunction allowing county election officials to set up more drop boxes, but the court of ap-peals stayed the injunction.
Subject: Absentee and early voting. Topics: Early voting; absentee ballots; Covid-19; equal protection; matters for state courts; interlocutory appeal; intervention.

One of many Case Studies in Emergency Election Litigation.