The day before HB7 was to take effect, opponents filed referendum petitions with the Ohio Secretary of State containing 433,884 signatures. HB7 would have, in effect, shut down Internet cafes across the state. Supporters of Internet cafes wanted voters to decide. In order to get on the November 2014 ballot, 231,148 signatures representing at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties need to be validated. If enough signatures are validated, Internet cafes will remain open until voters decide the issue in 2014. If not enough signatures are validated, an additional 10 days will be granted to gather more. The Ohio Secretary of State has directed county election boards to have the validation process complete by September 20.