The Trump administration threatened Ohio with “costly litigation” unless it bans the counting of ballots that arrive after Election Day, the state’s top election official revealed in comments to lawmakers. Soon afterwards, Republican lawmakers in the state introduced legislation that would do what DOJ demanded.

The move by DOJ is part of a broad campaign by President Donald Trump and the GOP to eliminate mail ballot grace periods, disenfranchising large numbers of voters whose mail ballots arrive after Election Day.

In testimony before lawmakers Tuesday, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) said, according to prepared remarks, that he was recently contacted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) about a state law that allows mail ballots that arrive up to four days after Election Day to be counted as long as they’re postmarked by the day before.

“The Department indicated that Ohio’s law should match that of 33 other states requiring ballots to be returned by the close of polls on Election Day,” LaRose added.