Ohio is poised to become the first state in the U.S. that actually might make its voters pay out of their own pockets to extend voting hours. On Wednesday, lawmakers approved a bill that would require voters to post a cash bond if they want polling hours extended past the normal cutoff time. Typically, voters submit these sorts of requests to the court if some unforeseen emergency — be it a natural disaster or a power outage — interrupts voting during scheduled hours.
Ohio State Sen. Bill Seitz (R) says the new bill would help cover the costs of keeping polls open later than normal. "Sadly, in both the November 2015 and March 2016 elections, rogue courts in Hamilton County issued orders extending polling hours," Seitz wrote in an op-ed this week. "These orders cost Hamilton County taxpayers $57,000, and forced the inside poll workers to stay around for an extra 60 to 90 minutes after already working a 14-hour day."
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The bill will next move to Ohio Gov. John Kasich's (R) desk, where he'll decide whether to sign it into law.