“This is completely unacceptable,” the governor said, adding that time is running out to pass a bill that would allow both presidential candidates to vote.
“The important thing is, [Ohio voters] “I'm going to the polls to let voters know that Joe Biden is on the ballot just as much as Donald Trump is,” he said.
The governor said the Legislature has passed short-term solutions to address the issue in the past and they are “very easy to implement.” The governor also said the issue needs a long-term solution, but “for now, I'll be happy with the short-term solution.”
DeWine said the special session needs to be convened early next week and wrapped up by Wednesday because Ohio is “in a real pinch” about the timing of resolving the issue.
“I waited, I was patient, but my patience wore off,” he said.
Reporters questioned DeWine's inclusion of a measure banning foreign funding from state referendum campaigns, a measure that blocked passage of a referendum amendment when Senate Republicans added it to the bill due to opposition from Ohio Democrats and disagreements among Ohio Republicans.
Governor DeWine has repeatedly defended including the measure in the special session, saying he believes it is important to ban money from non-Ohioans from being used in Ohio election campaigns.
The Associated Press reported that the move comes a year after funds linked to a Swiss billionaire were used to back a campaign to enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution.
Following the announcement, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters released a statement criticizing the actions of the Ohio Republican Party in its efforts to pass off voter fraud.
“Throughout this process, corrupt Republican politicians in Columbus have obstructed Ohioans' ability to choose who they want for president, politicized the process, and used Ohioans' ability to hold their government accountable for political games,” she wrote. She also urged passage of Ohio anti-corruption legislation, which she said would “require dark money groups to identify their donors, disclose their expenditures, and strengthen bans on foreign funding.”
“Meanwhile, Republican politicians who hold super majorities in both houses of the state legislature must put politics aside and pass a clean bill to put Joe Biden on the ballot. Despite Republican political maneuvering, we are confident Joe Biden will be on the Ohio ballot,” she said.
Senator J.D. Vance issued a statement in support of calling a special session, calling the inclusion of the foreign aid measure during the session a “reasonable compromise.” He also argued that Trump would beat Biden anyway, but said that “without a real presidential election, many who voted for Trump may stay home,” potentially hurting Republican candidates in other elections.
The issue of putting President Biden on the ballot arose because of the timing of the Democratic National Convention, which will be held in Chicago from Aug. 19 to 22. Ohio's vote deadline is Aug. 7.
