COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- With the 2026 midterms a year away, legislation is moving through the Ohio Statehouse that could change how Ohioans register to vote and cast their ballots.

One such measure under consideration is Senate Bill 293, passed by the Ohio Senate on Wednesday afternoon.

S.B. 293 would require mail-in absentee ballots to be returned to county boards of elections on or before Election Day—eliminating the four-day period after Election Day when mail-in ballots can still be counted under current law.

The bill’s sponsor, Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), said this is not unusual in other states.

“Two-thirds of the country require their ballots to be due on or before Election Day, and this puts Ohio in line with those,” said Gavarone. “We have 28 days of early voting, and

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