Ohio's top election official says opponents of the state's new election law do not have the signatures needed to get a ballot repeal question before voters next fall, though foes have another 10 days to submit more signatures.
Among other changes, the law shortens the swing state's early voting period.
Secretary of State Jon Husted's ruling on Monday comes after election officials reviewed the more than 333,000
signatures that opponents submitted in late September to put the law on hold.
Opponents, including Democrats, needed roughly 231,000 valid signatures to get a referendum before voters in 2012, and they were more than 9,500 shy of that amount.
Opponents have until Thanksgiving Day to submit more signatures.
An Ohio Democratic Party spokesman says they have collected more than 100,000 additional signatures.