COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio's top elections chief is banning county officials from sending voters unsolicited absentee ballot applications ahead of Election Day.
The move by Secretary of State Jon Husted Monday comes after several county boards of elections recently had tied votes on whether to send out applications.
A spokesman for the Republican says he wanted to provide clear guidance to boards, and issued the directive to the state's 88 counties in order to have uniformity.
Boards in Ohio's larger, urban counties - those that tend to vote more Democratic - have typically sent unsolicited absentee ballot applications to registered voters. Some also pay the return postage.
Ohio's new elections overhaul bans the practice, though the law faces a potential ballot repeal. It has not yet gone into effect.