Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted said he will revert back to the early, in-person voting hours he set in June after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday granted a last-minute stay of a lower court’s order to expand early voting hours.
In a statement released Monday afternoon, Husted said the hours were approved by the bipartisan Ohio Association of Elections Officials. Husted first set statewide early voting hours during the 2012 presidential election.
“Today’s ruling validates what I have long said, elections in Ohio should be run by the same rules in every county and Ohioans should have the right to make those rules through their elected representatives,” Husted said. “We are gratified the United States Supreme Court has allowed Ohio’s early voting law to stand.”
The Supreme Court’s stay means early voting will begin Oct. 7, as originally planned according to a new state law, not Sept. 30, as the Sept. 4 court order required. The schedule issued Monday includes one fewer Sunday and 20 fewer evening weekday hours than the schedule set earlier this month.
The new hours are as follows:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 through Friday, Oct. 10
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14 through Friday, Oct. 17
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20 through Friday, Oct. 24
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27 through Friday, Oct. 31
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1
1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3
Any voters in line at the close of those business hours must be allowed to cast a ballot.
The hours could change again, if either the Supreme Court or 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the district court order. State officials have not yet filed an appeal with the Supreme Court.
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