Will Gov DeWine save Ohio from this Columbus Democrat?
A Democratic senator from Columbus just passed a voter suppression bill through the Ohio House
Yesterday, the Ohio House passed SB 63, which will ban Ranked Choice Voting in Ohio and punish communities that try to use it.
New York City used Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in their recent, high-profile mayoral election. RCV gives more candidates a chance to prove themselves and increases the odds of electing a candidate everyone likes (or at least tolerates).
In an RCV system, voters rank their favorite candidates in order of preference. If a candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, that candidate wins. If no one earns more than 50% of first-choice votes, then the RCV counting system is used. Learn more here, here, and here. You can also practice ranking your vote here:
No matter how you personally feel about Ranked Choice Voting, most people can agree we damn sure shouldn’t be banning it. Legislators should trust Ohioans to decide what works best for their own communities.
That’s why it’s even more shameful that Ohio’s Ranked Choice Voting ban is being led by a Democrat.
Senator Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) joint sponsored SB 63, and has led the charge to pass it through the Statehouse. He has repeatedly ignored objections from his colleagues and pleas from his constituents. It’s been infuriating to watch.
Senator DeMora ran the Ohio Democratic Party as executive director for many years, and is still one of the most powerful people in the party, which makes his refusal to listen to Ohioans even more shameful.
It’s also very telling that Bill DeMora chose to joint sponsor this bill with Republican Senator Theresa Gavarone, who is responsible for the most egregious voter suppression bills and laws passed in Ohio in recent years.
It’s important to mention that nearly every Democrat in the Ohio House voted NO on Senator DeMora’s bill. They deserve genuine credit and praise for that vote. It took guts to stand up to their Democratic colleague in the Senate. (Rep Lauren McNally accidentally voted yes, and Republicans refused to let her change her vote to no)
Every Republican House rep voted yes on Senator DeMora’s bill, and politicians like Frank LaRose publicly praised it. You’d think this would cause Bill DeMora to second guess his actions, but I won’t hold my breath.
We do still have two chances to block SB 63 and stop Ohio from banning Ranked Choice Voting.
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
1.) Call your state senator. SB 63 will return to the Ohio Senate on Wednesday 3/4/26 for a “concurrence vote.” The senators can’t improve the bill. They can only vote YES or NO on changes made by the House.
Call your state senator (find your senator by typing your address below this map).
Tell them to vote NO on SB 63 concurrence"
SAMPLE SCRIPT:
Hi. My name is [NAME]. I’m a voter in your district. My zip code is [ZIP CODE].
I’m [angry / furious / frustrated / irritated / etc.] that politicians are trying to ban Ranked Choice Voting and punish communities that use it.
What happened to local control? What happened to respecting voters? What happened to small government?
How does [SENATOR] plan to vote on SB 63 concurrence? Will they respect their constituents and vote NO?
[IF SENATOR IS VOTING NO]: Thank you so much! Thank you for respecting voters! I will be telling others about this vote and making sure they’re all watching!
[IF SENATOR IS VOTING YES]: That is unacceptable. What can I do to persuade them to listen to Ohioans?
I will be telling others about this vote and making sure they’re all watching. Please urge [SENATOR] to respect local control and vote NO on SB 63 concurrence.
[IF SENATOR IS UNSURE]: What information can I provide? Is there anything I can do to make sure they listen to Ohioans and vote NO?
I’ll be telling others about this vote and urging them to call you as well. Please urge [SENATOR] to respect local control. Vote NO on SB 63 concurrence!
2.) Call Governor DeWine (and his top staffers). Tell him to respect local control and VETO SB 63
Mike DeWine’s voicemail is famously always full. So we need to contact everyone who speaks with him throughout the day! DeWine office contact sheet — https://Bit.ly./MikeDeWine
SAMPLE SCRIPT:
Hi. My name is [NAME], and I’m an Ohio voter. My zip code is [ZIP CODE].
I’m [angry / furious / frustrated / irritated / etc.] that Statehouse politicians are trying to ban Ranked Choice Voting and punish communities that use it.
What happened to local control? What happened to respecting voters? What happened to small government?
Does Governor DeWine plan to respect Ohio voters and VETO SB 63?
[IF DEWINE PLANS TO VETO]: Thank you so much! Thank you for respecting voters! I will be telling others about this veto and making sure they’re all watching!
[IF DEWINE PLANS TO SIGN SB 63]: That is unacceptable. What can I do to persuade him to listen to Ohioans?
I will be telling others about this bill and making sure they’re all watching. Please urge the governor to respect local control and VETO SB 63.
[IF DEWINE IS UNSURE]: What information can I provide? Is there anything I can do to make sure he listens to Ohioans and VETOES SB 63?
I’ll be telling others about this bill and urging them to call you as well. Please urge the governor to respect local control and VETO SB 63!
3.) Let Senator DeMora know your thoughts:
614-466-4583
DeMora@OhioSenate.gov
4.) Join Rank The Vote Ohio — then follow them on Facebook, Twitter, BlueSky, and other social media platforms for updates and calls to action!