In a polarized political season, Ohio's election system faces new challenges as partisanship and election integrity concerns come to the forefront.

While most Ohioans trust their local election officials, heightened political tensions and increased recruitment of partisan poll watchers have cast a spotlight on the state's unique election safeguards.

Jenny Gimian, director of legal research and senior policy counsel for the nonprofit Informing Democracy, said Ohio's Pickaway and Portage counties are among the 16 counties nationwide identified as a top-level concern among those reviewed this year.

"The boards of elections in Ohio also have an even number of members, however, there's a clear tiebreaking procedure," Gimian explained. "If this were to happen, by law, the Secretary of State would be required to step in and summarily decide the matter."

Ohio's tiebreaking mechanism added a layer of security to prevent certification delays at the county level and it places significant responsibility on the Secretary of State to ensure impartiality. The process is designed to address disagreements efficiently, yet experts worry escalating partisan recruitment may strain the protections, as election workers could bring heightened biases to their roles.

Concerns over partisan involvement extend beyond Ohio, as national leaders rally supporters to form an "election day army" to monitor polling stations. The wave of mobilization, fueled by calls to counter perceived election vulnerabilities, has taken root across the country.

On the social media platform Telegram, Ohio's Proud Boys chapter warned, "The day is fast approaching when fence sitting will no longer be possible. ... You will either stand with the resistance or take a knee and willingly accept the yoke of tyranny and oppression."

Gimian pointed out the trend underscores a growing national movement to address election security concerns, even in states such as Ohio with established certification and oversight safeguards.

"National Republican Party officials have said they are recruiting an election-day army to combat alleged widespread election fraud and to guard the vote," Gimian emphasized. "Notably in August 2024, Republicans held a recruitment session at the party's Ohio borders."

Despite Ohio's established legal processes, the intensifying push for partisan poll oversight added complexity to election administration this year. As election denialism and politically motivated recruitment intersect with robust safeguards, Ohio's election officials face a delicate balance between maintaining security and ensuring fair, unbiased vote counting across its counties.


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Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has seen the last few bills of the 2025 legislative session cross his desk and as the ink dries, policy experts reminded Montanans some bills will face the courts before they take effect.

Gianforte signed Senate Bill 490, which changes the Election Day cutoff for same-day voter registration from 8 p.m. to noon. It also eliminates early registration the Monday before Election Day, shifting the deadline to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Zuri Moreno, state legislative director for the advocacy group Forward Montana, said the change especially affects Montanans who drive long distances to vote.

"We've already heard from the courts that you're not supposed to mess around with same-day voter registration," Moreno pointed out. "It just takes away that opportunity for working folks and young folks and rural people across the state."

Montana's Supreme Court ruled last year banning same-day voter registration is unconstitutional. In January, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the decision.

Laws passed this session may still be challenged in court, including those centered on the LGBTQ+ community, which was targeted by at least 23 bills. Moreno noted the "community really showed up this session."

"We saw so many folks sharing personal stories and public testimony, so many folks showing up for lobby days and rallies," Moreno recounted. "Thousands of people engaged in the legislative process, which is essential."

In a win for renters, Gianforte also signed House Bill 311 , which requires rental application fees to be returned to people who do not end up signing a lease.

During every big election, tens of thousands of California voters make a mistake on their mail-in ballot and often get differing advice on how to fix it, depending on who they ask. A new bill aims to standardize the response.

Assembly Bill 1072 would require the Secretary of State and county elections officials to come up with clear answers, applicable statewide.

Kim Alexander, founder and president of the California Voter Foundation, said the problem causes widespread delays in counting.

"In Orange County in the last election, officials had to duplicate over 40,000 ballots," Alexander pointed out. "There are other reasons why ballots have to be duplicated, but the primary one is that the voter made a mistake filling out their ballot, indicated a different choice, and it has to be remade."

Common mistakes include accidentally filling in the wrong bubble, signing the witness signature box or signing their spouses' envelope. If there is time, the county will often send a new ballot.

Alexander noted a common set of instructions should be posted on the website of the Secretary of State and every county registrar.

"They are instructed, typically, to cross out the choice and fill out the choice that they preferred and draw an arrow to it or circle it to indicate that is their intent," Alexander explained. "What they should not do is initial it, and sometimes voters think that's what they should do."

The outlook for the bill is good. It is currently on the consent calendar for the Assembly Appropriations Committee.


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An Indiana debate over history and power is growing. Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith recently defended the Three-Fifths Compromise in a social media video. The compromise counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxes.

Beckwith called it a "great move" for America at the time, and praised the group WallBuilders, describing them as the "gold standard" for teaching U.S. history.

The Indiana Citizen investigated both claims. Publisher Bill Moreau called on Hoosiers to pay attention.

"We have been working on a project since the first of the year that we called: 'One Heartbeat Away: Do Christian nationalists have an agenda for Indiana?' Lt. Gov. Beckwith is literally one heartbeat away from being governor," he said.

If Beckwith became governor, he could shape education policy. That includes choosing textbooks. The Indiana Citizen's report found WallBuilders promotes views rejected by most historians. Some Hoosiers agree with Beckwith and say his views reflect America's religious roots.

Moreau encouraged Hoosiers to stay informed and take a closer look at the history Beckwith promotes.

"Understand what Lt. Gov. Beckwith said about the Three-Fifths Compromise," he added. "How he attributes that analysis to this group called WallBuilders - which he considers to be 'the gold standard for learning the real history of America.'"


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