Changes to Ohio’s early voting laws are receiving mixed reactions from the state’s two major political parties.

Legislation signed by Gov. John Kasich amended the early voting laws, and the changes resulted in a decrease in early voting by one week, from five to four.

While we believe providing Ohio residents with the ability to vote is key for this process, trying to continually politicize legislation is simply wrong for both sides.

These new early voting regulations provide consistent voting time across the state, and four weeks is sufficient for registration and casting a ballot with a separation between the two. This, in conjunction with the ability for anyone to cast an absentee or provisional ballot prior to Election Day should not prevent a voter from casting a ballot.

While we contend that any laws should not result in suppressing anyone’s ability to vote as some contend; even with the reduction, Ohio still maintains one of the more lengthy early voting periods in the United States.

More than the legislation, the larger issue is the continual challenges, rebuttals and accusations from different sides on what seems to be every piece of legislation.

This has become a constant in today’s political climate.

Lawmakers from all levels and all parties need to understand their political games only hurt those whom they were elected to serve.

It is time to stop the political grandstanding and get on with the work of the residents of Ohio and America.