## Role

Bill Dean, a Republican state representative from Xenia representing Ohio House District 74, served as primary sponsor of House Bill 387 in 2021, one of the most restrictive voting bills proposed that year. HB 387 would have eliminated ballot drop boxes entirely, cut early voting from 28 days to just 6 days, and restored excuse requirements for mail-in voting. The bill was so extreme that Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose opposed it, calling Ohio’s existing system “the gold standard” and arguing the state didn’t need “massive changes.”

## Background

Dean sponsored HB 387 alongside six Republican co-sponsors: Representatives Thomas E. Brinkman Jr., Ron Ferguson, Diane V. Grendell, Jennifer Gross, Reggie Stoltzfus, and Scott Wiggam. The bill was introduced in August 2021 and referred to the House Government Oversight Committee but did not advance further in the legislative process—likely due to opposition from Secretary LaRose and recognition that such extreme restrictions would face significant legal challenges and public backlash.

## Documented Actions

### 1. HB 387 – Elimination of Drop Boxes and Severe Early Voting Cuts (2021)

Evidence: Dean’s HB 387 proposed some of the most draconian voting restrictions seen in any state in 2021:

– Complete elimination of ballot drop boxes at board of elections sites, forcing all mail-in voters to use U.S. Postal Service or hand-deliver to election offices during limited hours

– Cutting early voting from 28 days to 13 days in 2022, then to just 6 days thereafter—among the shortest early voting periods in the nation

– Restoring “excuse requirement” for mail-in voting, requiring voters to provide reasons like illness, travel, or disability (Ohio had moved to no-excuse absentee voting, which HB 387 would reverse)

– Banning the Secretary of State from mailing absentee ballot applications in even-year general elections

– New restrictions on acceptable voter identification and voting machine standards

The bill’s extreme provisions—particularly the 6-day early voting window and complete drop box elimination—would have placed Ohio among the most restrictive states for voting access. For comparison, many states offer 30-45 days of early voting, and drop boxes had proven secure and popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources: Ohio Legislature, HB 387 (134th General Assembly) introduced bill text; Statehouse News Bureau, August 22, 2021; WVXU commentary, August 26, 2021

Pattern: Extreme restrictions; drop box elimination; severe early voting cuts (6 days); restoring excuse requirements; opposition even from Republican election official

### 2. Republican Secretary of State Opposition

Evidence: HB 387 was so restrictive that Ohio’s own Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose publicly opposed it. LaRose stated that Ohio had “the gold standard” election system and didn’t need “massive changes.” This opposition from a Republican election official was significant—most state-level voting restriction efforts had support from or acquiescence by Republican secretaries of state.

LaRose’s opposition suggested HB 387 went beyond what even partisan Republican election officials could defend as reasonable security measures. The bill’s extreme provisions—6-day early voting, no drop boxes, restored excuses—had no analogues in security concerns. Ohio’s 2020 election had been secure and well-administered under LaRose’s leadership, undermining any claimed need for such restrictions.

Dean’s willingness to sponsor legislation opposed by his own party’s Secretary of State revealed the depth of his commitment to restricting access regardless of genuine election administration concerns. The bill appeared designed more to signal partisan loyalty and restrict Democratic-leaning voters than to address any real problems.

Sources: Statehouse News Bureau, August 22, 2021; Secretary LaRose public statements

Pattern: Republican Secretary of State opposition; rejection of “gold standard” system; restrictions beyond what partisan election official would defend; signaling rather than problem-solving

### 3. Bill Failed to Advance Despite Republican Control

Evidence: Despite Republicans controlling both chambers of the Ohio Legislature and the governorship, HB 387 never advanced beyond referral to the House Government Oversight Committee. The bill’s failure to move forward even in a Republican trifecta government suggested its provisions were too extreme even for many Ohio Republicans.

Several factors likely contributed to the bill’s stall:

– Secretary LaRose’s public opposition

– Recognition that such extreme restrictions would face immediate legal challenges

– Public backlash potential, particularly the 6-day early voting provision

– Difficulty defending elimination of drop boxes that had proven popular and secure

– Concern about backlash in a politically competitive state

The bill’s introduction but failure to advance created a “marker” for future restriction efforts—establishing the outer boundary of what Republicans might propose while not committing the party to defend such extreme provisions in court or at the ballot box.

Sources: Ohio Legislature HB 387 bill tracking and status; Holland Sentinel (AP), August 18, 2021

Pattern: Bill introduction as marker/signal; too extreme to advance even in Republican trifecta; avoided committing party to legal defense; established outer boundary for future restrictions