If a new bill is passed in Ohio, victims of
domestic violence will be able to get their addresses shielded in a new confidentiality program.
To participate in the program, an individual would work with an appointed, trained, and certified "application assistant." To qualify for the program, the "program participant" would be required to make a sworn statement that he or she fears for their own safety and/or the safety of their children.
Once in the program, the participant's address would no longer be available to the public. Instead, all mail would be sent to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, which would forward the mail to the participant. During voting season, the participant would vote by absentee ballot.
In a press release on her website, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said she feels that Ohio is in a good position to implement the program, and that it will immediately provide relief for victims of domestic violence.
Brunner worked closely with state Rep. Kathleen Chandler, along with various domestic violence organizations to develop the program.
There are currently 37 states that have similar programs, 19 of which are administered by the Secretary of State's Office.
On her site, Brunner said that, "a program such as this offers affected woman and their children, as well as affected men, the opportunity to live peacefully at a location of their choosing with the privacy of their whereabouts kept safe from their stalkers or abusers.".
To learn if there is a similar program in your state, click here to
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