Catching Our Eye

• Absentee ballots. The Statehouse News Bureau’s Jo Ingles reports, “Voting rights advocates report problems with new Ohio law on absentee ballots.”

This is the first Ohio election in which mail-in absentee ballots must be returned by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Voting rights advocates say they are hearing from voters who are concerned about their mail-in ballots arriving in time.

Cincinnati-area voter Terry Susskind said she requested a mail-in ballot and received it on April 14. She called the board of elections on April 29 to check on it.

“The ballot had not yet arrived. They were very helpful,” she said. “They said they would send me another ballot which did arrive within two days which we filled out and dropped off.”

• Sports betting on credit. Cleveland.com’s Jeremy Pelzer reports, “Ohio moves to ban use of credit cards for sports betting.”

Ohioans may soon no longer be able to use credit cards to place sports bets, under a draft rule change put forward by Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration this week.

The rule change, which could take effect in as little as a few months, is one of the reforms sought by sports-betting critics, who say using credit cards to place bets amplifies the risk of gambling addiction and financial ruin.

• Richland County voters ban solar and wind energy. Signal Ohio’s Jake Zuckerman reports, “MAGA-friendly Richland county voters preserve ban on wind and solar.”

In a Republican-dominated district, voters narrowly upheld a ban on utility scale renewables in most of the county in a 53% to 47% vote. A referendum backer called the result disappointing, yet ‘telling.’

• FBI going after journalists. MSNOW reports, “FBI investigating leaks to journalist who wrote explosive article on Kash Patel: Sources.”

The FBI has launched a criminal leak investigation focusing on an Atlantic magazine journalist who wrote a deeply unflattering account last month of Director Kash Patel’s work habits, two people familiar with the matter told MS NOW.

The sources said the so-called insider threat investigation is highly unusual because it did not stem from a disclosure of classified information and because it is focused on leaks to a reporter. The agents involved are part of an insider threats unit based in Huntsville, Alabama, the sources added.

Typically, leak investigations look into government officials who may have disclosed state secrets or classified documents. Journalists who receive and publish such information have typically only been involved as potential witnesses.