A federal judge sidestepped a ruling Friday on whether to place multiple drop boxes in counties across Ohio, saying that he instead will wait to see how a state appeals court handles the matter.
U.S. District Judge Dan Polster issued a seven-page decision that criticized Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and the state legislature for failing to come up with a solution sooner.
He ordered LaRose to work with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to alleviate “the looming crisis for voters who plan to personally deliver their ballots for the November 3 election rather than returning them by mail.”…
n his ruling, Polster said that he agrees with Frye’s conclusion that “nothing in state law prohibits off-site drop boxes or off-site delivery of ballots to board employees.”
He said that if appellate courts uphold Frye’s action, the issue is moot. He said he would hold his decision in abeyance until then.
“This is a problem that can and should be solved by the Secretary of State,” Polster said. “It is his job to work with each board to address any local issue that significantly impacts voters in that county being able to cast their ballots.”