Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has mandated the removal of "non-citizens" from the state's voter rolls. This decision follows an investigation revealing over 100 Ohio residents registered to vote without U.S. citizenship.
According to Fox News, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a significant move to purge "non-citizens" from the state's voter rolls after an investigation by the state's Public Integrity Division.
This investigation, leveraging data from the state's Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), found 137 individuals who had confirmed their non-citizenship status twice to the BMV yet remained on the voter rolls.
LaRose's office emphasized that the individuals identified will receive at least two written notices asking them to confirm their citizenship status or cancel their registration.
Ohio's investigation utilized multiple data sources to identify discrepancies in voter registrations. According to Ohio law, if a resident confirms their non-citizenship status to the BMV twice and either updates their voter registration or votes between these confirmations, they must be removed from the voter rolls. The county boards of elections will remove registrants who fail to respond to these notices.
LaRose's office acknowledged that the presence of non-citizens on the voter rolls might be due to honest mistakes. LaRose highlighted the importance of addressing these errors to prevent unintentional illegal voting, which could lead to severe legal consequences:
It’s important to recognize that some of these registrations may be the result of an honest mistake. These may be well-meaning people trying to pursue the American dream, and communication barriers sometimes result in a registration form being submitted in error. We need to help them get that cleared up before an accidental registration becomes an illegal vote that could result in a felony conviction or even deportation.
LaRose's office seeks access to federal databases to ensure the accuracy of voter rolls. Ohio requests data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' SAVE database, the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration, and federal district court records. This effort aims to provide a more comprehensive verification of citizenship status.
LaRose's initiative aligns with his broader goal of modeling Ohio's election systems as exemplary for other GOP-led states. Appointed as vice chairman of the Republican Secretaries of State Committee in March 2023, LaRose has emphasized the need for principled Republican leadership, particularly with ten secretary-of-state races on the ballot over the next two years.
"With national liberal groups eyeing the ten secretary of state races on the ballot over the next two years, we need principled Republican leaders now more than ever," LaRose said, underscoring the importance of his role in the RSSC.
The decision to purge the voter rolls comes as LaRose also campaigns as a Republican candidate for Senate. His actions reflect a broader national conversation about election integrity and voter fraud, central to his platform.
The state's move to purge non-citizens has sparked debate about the balance between maintaining electoral integrity and ensuring that eligible voters are not disenfranchised. While LaRose's office has stressed the importance of addressing errors to prevent illegal voting, the broader implications for voter access remain a concern.
Individuals identified in the investigation can confirm their citizenship status or voluntarily cancel their voter registration. Failure to respond to the notices will result in removal from the voter rolls by county boards of elections. LaRose's office continues to explore additional measures to identify and rectify inaccuracies in the voter registration system.
Ohio's Secretary of State Frank LaRose has ordered the removal of non-citizens from the state's voter rolls following an investigation by the Public Integrity Division. The investigation revealed that 137 individuals confirmed their non-citizenship status with the BMV yet remained on the voter rolls. LaRose's office is working to verify citizenship status through multiple written notices and is seeking access to federal databases for more comprehensive data. The initiative is part of LaRose's broader goal to model Ohio's election systems as exemplary for GOP-led states. As LaRose campaigns for Senate, his actions underscore the ongoing national debate on election integrity.
