COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Republicans have asked a federal judge in Columbus to require that provisional ballots be verified and counted the same way statewide.

The legal action filed Tuesday by the Ohio GOP updates an earlier Republican lawsuit againts Ohio's top elections official, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat.

The GOP says it's concerned provisional ballots will be handled differently across Ohio. Provisional ballots are those cast by voters whose registration has been questioned. The ballots are held for 10 days while election workers check voter eligibility before they are counted.

Republicans say Brunner had issued "vague and confusing instructions" on handling provisional ballots and seemed to encourage local officials to overlook non-matching signatures.

Brunner called the GOP legal action partisan and troubling.